Manchester United secured their third successive home victory as they outplayed newly-promoted Sunderland during their 2–0 win in the Premier League at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils bullied their visitors throughout the first half and were deservedly ahead at the half-time whistle. Mason Mount’s fantastic opener was added to by a poacher’s finish from Benjamin Šeško, with VAR rightly overturning a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Sunderland to ensure United had a two-goal cushion at the break.
The hosts were admirably composed after the restart to deny Sunderland any hopes of a dramatic turnaround, easing to three points to earn some much-needed respite heading into the international break.
Dominant Win Eases Pressure on Ruben Amorim
United‘s clash with Sunderland was as must-win as they come. After another disastrous performance and result at Brentford last time out, the pressure was greater than ever on Ruben Amorim and his players. Fortunately for the Old Trafford crowd, the Red Devils rose to the occasion.
United have crumbled under pressure regularly during Amorim’s tenure, but they overpowered Sunderland from the first kick. They were utterly dominant in the first half and the scoreline reflected their superiority at the half-hour mark, with Mount and Šeško offering a comfortable and well-earned two-goal lead. In fact, if not for Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs, they could have been three or four to the good.
Amorim’s men were not as swashbuckling in the final third after the break, but they didn’t need to be. They played with the necessary caution as they sought a first clean sheet of the season and a comfortable victory, producing a competent defensive performance that limited Sunderland to half-chances at best.
It was exactly the performance and result the doctor ordered, with Amorim breathing an enormous sigh of relief heading into the international period.
Benjamin Šeško Among the Goals Again
The only positive from humiliation at the Gtech Community Stadium was Šeško’s first United goal. It was a scrappy effort that came after two of the Slovenian’s shots had already been blocked, but it was a needed confidence boost for the £74 million striker after criticism of his early performances in England.
Šeško evidently benefitted from last weekend’s strike as he led the line impressively at Old Trafford. He was in the right place at the right time to convert United’s second from close range, positioning himself well to pick up the scraps from Casemiro’s long throw, and was always on hand to connect with the likes of Mount and Bryan Mbeumo.
Šeško also impressed with his work out of possession, making nine defensive contributions and more tackles than any other United players. He worked tirelessly to retrieve the ball and offered Sunderland’s defenders little time to play through the thirds.
It wasn’t a flashy centre-forward display, but it was a hugely effective one.
Senne Lammens Impresses on Debut
Amorim’s team selection caught the eye for Sunderland’s visit, the United head coach replacing under-fire goalkeeper Altay Bayındır with debutant Senne Lammens. Having failed to find an adequate replacement for David de Gea over recent seasons, there are hopes that their new Belgian stopper can offer some much-needed consistency at the very least.
After consistent goalkeeping gaffes this season, United supporters were glad to witness a competent and assured display from their man between the sticks. Lammens was not tested too regularly by Sunderland’s attacking players, but did produce several clean saves, including an impressive stop from Granit Xhaka’s stinging first-half effort.
There was a wave of applause from the home supporters as Lammens rose high to claim a lofted ball into the area late in the first half, and he was on his toes to deny Wilson Isidor a promising opportunity on the hour mark. The 23-year-old also made the wise decision to kick long rather than play short from goal kicks.
Bar one moment of miscommunication with Bruno Fernandes early in the second half, it was an impressive display from Lammens. Harder tests will come, but he’s almost certainly earned promotion to United’s starting goalkeeper.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Takeaways vs. Sunderland: Šeško Delivers, Lammens Passes Acid Test.
