Sunderland prayed for VAR intervention in case of mistaken identity vs Man United
Sunderland will travel to Manchester United on Saturday in the hunt for back-to-back away wins.
Last time out, in the Premier League, Omar Alderete scored against Nottingham Forest to secure a 1-0 win away at the City Ground.
Regis Le Bris has orchestrated the Black Cats’ brilliant start to the season, with his side no longer being a favourite to be relegated.
The Stadium of Light will not be in use for a second week in a row, as Old Trafford will welcome Sunderland for the first time since December 2016.
But, rewind to 28 February 2015, where chaos ensued in Manchester.
Bizarre red card stole the headlines
Wayne Rooney was on song as his double sealed a 2-0 victory for United as Gus Poyet led Sunderland against Louis Van Gaal’s team.
Fortunately for the Red and White Army, their opponents at the upcoming weekend won’t have the Englishman’s talents at their disposal.
Rooney’s brace was overshadowed by referee Roger East’s decision to send off Wes Brown after John O’Shea fouled the Red Devil’s forward Radamel Falcao in the box.
Not the return to Old Trafford that Brown had hoped for, but looking back, he probably would have hoped VAR was in use for the Premier League fixture 10 years ago.
Fast forward to October 2025, and the mood around the two clubs couldn’t be more dissimilar.
Sunderland head into the weekend’s clash in high spirits, sitting pretty in fifth spot, while United manager Ruben Amorim is scrapping to keep his job beyond the Black Cats’ visit.
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Sunderland’s tough times at Old Trafford
Le Bris’ side couldn’t have asked for much more out of the first six games in the league.
The team has lost just one game so far, surprisingly at the hands of Burnley, in an even more unexpected turn of events, an away trip to Manchester United could represent a good opportunity to pick up another three points.
Sunderland do, however, have a shocking record at Old Trafford.
- Sunderland have won just one of their last 10 league trips to Old Trafford.
- United have scored eight goals in their last three games against Sunderland at home.
- Sunderland’s last win at the ground came in 2014
The travelling fans will hope the moment of Sebastian Larsson’s goal from their 1-0 victory in 2014 can be relived on Saturday.
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