Premier League make announcement for Man United vs Sunderland that once left Steve Bruce fuming
Sunderland travel to face a struggling Man United side this weekend.
Sunderland have started the season better than anyone could have expected, with 11 points from their first six games.
Up next for the Black Cats is a trip to Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim under increasing pressure at Man United after a dismal start to the campaign.
However, an announcement made by the Premier League ahead of the encounter will draw Sunderland fans back to a controversial incident in 2010.
Stuart Atwell named as referee for Man United vs Sunderland
The Premier League have announced the officials for gameweek seven, and Stuart Atwell has been appointed for Sunderland’s clash at Old Trafford.
Atwell is one of the most experienced referees in the country, though his career has certainly not been without some major controversies.
When Sunderland fans think of controversial goals against Liverpool, many will immediately think of the beachball goal scored by Darren Bent, though there was another incident 15 years ago involving Atwell.
Sunderland drew 2-2 with the Reds back in 2010, and Dirk Kuyt scored a goal after Michael Turner was adjudged to have taken a free-kick, when in reality, he was just giving the ball to Simon Mignolet.
Atwell evidently didn’t see this, and play was waved on with Kurt going on to capitalise on the incident to give Liverpool the lead.
When speaking to BBC Sport about the incident after the game, Bruce said: “The first goal is a joke. The only person who knew it wasn’t intentionally taken was possibly the referee.
“However, I watched him and he went to his whistle three or four times, he even looked for the linesman. Everybody in the ground knew Turner was kicking it back to where the free-kick should have been taken from.”
It proved costly in the end, with Sunderland only able to secure a point, having inevitably been affected by such a poor decision so early on in the game.
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Sunderland’s record with Stuart Atwell in charge
Throughout his career, Atwell has officiated 13 games for the Black Cats, with the most recent one coming last season in Sunderland’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds.
However, there are many more where that came from, with seven of those 13 games ending in defeat for the Wearsiders, and only two of them ending with a win.
Their last win when he was in charge was back in 2015, when the Black Cats secured a 6-3 victory against Exeter City in the League Cup.
Since then, the Mackems have lost five of the seven games Atwell has been in charge of, and will be looking to end that run this weekend.
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