Man United player does something Tim Sherwood has never seen in Sunderland win
Sunderland’s excellent run of form hit a brick wall when they traveled to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
Sunderland lost 2-0 to Man United in a spirited performance at Old Trafford, as early goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko did the damage for Ruben Amorim’s side.
Before the defeat in Manchester, Sunderland were unbeaten in their last five games, with the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest providing them with the best start from a newly promoted team since 2012.
United impressed with an improved performance from the one in their 3-1 defeat at Brentford, and Tim Sherwood noticed a change from United during the win.
Tim Sherwood pleased with Manchester United approach against Sunderland
Sesko was brilliant against Sunderland, as he scored his first goal at Old Trafford to take the game away from Sunderland.
After failing to score in his first six games for the Red Devils following his arrival from RB Leipzig in the summer, the Slovenian has now scored in back-to-back games as he looks to have begun to settle into life in England.
| Benjamin Sesko vs Sunderland | Total |
| Goals | 1 |
| Expected goals | 0.32 |
| Key passes | 2 |
| Ground duels won | 5/12 |
| Aerial duels | 4/13 |
Sherwood watched the game for Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday and praised the fact that United began to play towards Sesko’s strengths by playing it long instead of passing short and playing out the back.
Sherwood said: “Man United are playing direct to Sesko. I’ve never seen him have so many touches, which is pleasing to see. They’re not asking Lemmens to play out – he’s kicking it long – and it’s paying off.”
Sunderland given a reality check at Old Trafford
The Black Cats have made an excellent start to their return to the Premier League, catching many teams off guard and giving themselves a huge chance of surviving against the odds.
However, the defeat at Old Trafford has come as a reality check for Regis Le Bris’ side, with their first test against one of the so-called Big Six ending in a valiant defeat.
Ultimately, these games are not going to be the ones that define whether Sunderland will be a Premier League team come the end of May.
However, the games against the sides at the bottom will be where Sunderland need to get points, and they have done so far with a 3-0 win over West Ham and a 2-1 win over Brentford.
If Sunderland continue on the rate they are on right now, then safety shouldn’t end up being a concern, with room to improve next season as they develop into a Premier League regular once again.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Sunderland news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @mackemnews247