Stoke City continue to tick along nicely in the Premier League and after a comfortable win over Sunderland on Saturday, their fans here in the Transfer Tavern remain optimistic for the remainder of the season ahead.

The Potters overcame David Moyes’ boys 3-1 at the Stadium of Light last weekend thanks to a brace from Marko Arnautovic and a Peter Crouch goal, his third in three games, ensuring it was a complete away performance from City.

And it was a game they could have really done with getting three points from because it doesn’t get any easier in the coming days. Manchester United are next up for Mark Hughes and his side and it’s going to be a seriously tough game for the Potters.

But their fans here in the Tavern are optimistic they could nick a victory after some promising performances over the past few weeks and we agree with them!

So with that in mind, here’s our landlord’s Stoke City XI that we think could surprise Manchester United on Saturday…

GK: Lee Grant

Former Derby County man Lee Grant has been in great form having joined the club from the Rams and the Stoke fans here in the Tavern have been quietly impressed with his performances.

Brought in to provide cover following an injury to Jack Butland, he’s looked strong between the sticks and looks set to stay in the first-team until Butland’s return at least.

RB: Glen Johnson

Former Liverpool man Glen Johnson offers the Potters a fantastic attacking outlet on the right-hand side and it’s good to see him playing well after his tough spell at Anfield.

When he’s in-form, he’s nothing but an asset to Mark Hughes’ side and he’ll be looking to really get at the United defence on Saturday.

CB: Bruno Martins Indi

Stoke seem keen to get Bruno Martins Indi signed up on a permanent basis and after his good start to life in England, you can certainly see why.

He’s powerful in the air and also cuts out attacking play with ease. Zlatan and co. will not be getting past him easily at all this weekend.

CB: Ryan Shawcross

We know what to expect from Stoke City captain Ryan Shawcross and he’ll certainly be relishing the game against United this weekend.

He’s a big unit at the heart of the Potters’ defence and there’s no way on earth he’ll be bullied by United’s front-men throughout the afternoon.

LB: Erik Pieters

Dutch international Erik Pieters might not be the most attacking of full-backs in the Premier League but his wicked crossing ability coupled with his strong defensive capabilities certainly make him one of the most underrated.

He gets on with the job at hand but will have to be seriously alert to cut out the threat posed by the likes of arcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on Saturday.

CDM: Glenn Whelan

Much like Shawcross, Irish veteran Glenn Whelan knows this Stoke City side well and it’s good to see one of their older players contributing to the new-found play style the Potters are executing under Mark Hughes.

He’s a tidy, hard-working midfielder who is excellent at covering for the back four.

CDM: Charlie Adam

Former Liverpool man Charlie Adam will be another man relishing a tie against United and he’ll certainly want to have a good game as he looks to continue his good form in the middle-of-the-park.

He’s another Potters player with a fantastic ability to get the ball in the box and United certainly won’t want to be giving too many appealing set-pieces away with a man of Adam’s quality in the side.

RAM: Xherdan Shaqiri

Xherdan Shaquiri continues to shine on the Stoke City flank and he had a very good afternoon against Sunderland last time out.

He’s well liked amongst the Potters contingent here in the pub and another good performance against United would only go on to increase his growing influence at the Bet365 Stadium.

CAM: Joe Allen

He’s been Stoke City’s player of the season so far and Joe Allen will want to continue his impressive showings against a United side that scraped to a 1-1 draw against his former club Liverpool last weekend.

Allen gives this Stoke side fantastic balance and given his new-found ability to go forward, he’ll be looking to cause the United back four all sorts of difficulty when they turn up at the Bet365 Stadium this weekend.

LAM: Marko Arnautovic

Grabbed a brace against Sunderland and there is little doubting how much quality Austrian international Marko Arnautovic brings to this Stoke City forward line.

At times, he could be scoring more goals but when he’s in-form and firing, there isn’t a single Premier League defender who would look forward to coming up against him.

ST: Peter Crouch

With Mame Biram Diouf away at the African Cup of Nations, the striking burden has fallen on the shoulders of former England star Peter Crouch and he’s certainly stepping up to the plate.

To the surprise of some of the locals in the pub, the former Liverpool man has been banging them in of late, scoring three in his last three outings.

He’d certainly be loved even more if he were to pop up with a winner against United this weekend.

Agree, Stoke fans? Let us know below!