A victory over a newly promoted side at home should hardly be considered a significant achievement for a club of Manchester United`s stature. However, the Red Devils` confident 2-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford will give Ruben Amorim and the entire team the much-needed momentum heading into the international break. In a match where Amorim entrusted the goal to Senne Lammens, making his first start for the club, Manchester United also secured their first clean sheet of the current season.
Lammens certainly didn`t have too much to do, making only three saves, but that highlights the effectiveness of the tactical changes Amorim made before the game. Sunderland is far from an ordinary newcomer; they have already picked up 11 points this season (one more than Manchester United). Still, despite this, at your home stadium, such matches are always expected to be won easily and convincingly.
Scoring one goal from a long throw-in and another thanks to an excellent finish from open play, United established a 2-0 lead by halftime and then confidently managed the match to victory. Perhaps this seems elementary for a top club, but these were precisely the areas where United experienced serious difficulties last season, which is why they finished 15th. Given that they`ve already been knocked out of the League Cup by Grimsby Town this season, it`s clear that overcoming lesser competition hasn`t been straightforward for them either.
Amorim made a bold decision by benching Matheus Cunha and starting Mason Mount, and it fully paid off. Mount not only beautifully finished an attack to score a goal, but his active pressing also played a key role in containing Sunderland throughout the match. Amad Diallo also looked quite confident at wing-back, a position where Patrick Dorgu had previously struggled.
Such positive moments can be used by Amorim as a foundation for further development, as a serious challenge awaits them after the international break – a clash with Chelsea. For Mount, this was his first start since the injury he sustained in an away victory over Burnley. However, he has been central to some of United`s best performances under Amorim this season. Starting as a striker in the opening match of the season against Arsenal, Mount helped involve other attackers, and this was evident again in the game against Sunderland.
Maintaining the Englishman`s fitness remains an issue, but when healthy, Amorim must find a place for him in the starting XI. New signings like Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo, and Cunha need a player to transition the ball to them, and Mount, alongside Diallo, is capable of fulfilling this role. They even created open spaces, allowing Bruno Fernandes to shoot from deep – all of which are critically important for unlocking the full potential of the current squad.
The top half of the league table is quite tight: only six points separate United from leaders Arsenal. This means that if the Red Devils can build momentum, they will have a chance to compete for a European qualification spot. At times this season, it felt like all hope was lost for United, but a string of victories can do much to put those concerns behind them. A team cannot start a winning streak without the first win, so this success is an excellent starting point.
