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9 hours ago
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Ruben Amorim will be pleased the only storm Manchester United had to navigate was provided by the skies. The head coach witnessed a rare comfortable victory to alleviate the pressure on him for a fortnight at least.
Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko scored their first home Premier League goals for the club, although having joined two years apart it indicates some of the problems Amorim has been dealing with. Apart from a brief scare on a penalty that never was, life was straightforward for United as they secured a third win and first clean sheet of the season in the downpours and gales but, like the Old Trafford roof, the hosts did their job.
Amorim has spent much of his tenure being criticised for an unwillingness to change his 3-4-3 formation. He led a passionate defence of his style and system on Friday, claiming it is not the issue. The same can not be said of the personnel, leading to five changes from losing at Brentford, including a debut for goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who was untroubled throughout.
When Bertrand Traoré failed to convert a simple chance in the opening minutes, there was concern United were facing another very unpleasant afternoon. Good news came their way in the ninth minute when one of the changes paid off. Bryan Mbeumo chipped the ball into the box where Mount was waiting, taking a touch before carefully placing a shot into the corner. The Old Trafford nerves were calmed.
Mount is one of Amorim’s most-trusted players thanks to intelligence and workrate. He often dropped deeper to help out Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in central midfield when Sunderland had possession as United overwhelmed the visitors in a key area of the pitch.
There was the rare sense that United were enjoying themselves. A second was sought, focusing on play down the right. The former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo and Mbeumo tested Robin Roefs with almost identical curling shots.
Little was learned about Lammens but Roefs was proving once again why he is one of the signings of the summer. Fernandes took precise aim for the top corner and expected to be celebrating a split second later, only for a stunning fingertip save on to the bar from the Sunderland goalkeeper.
It was a simple set piece that did the trick. A long Diogo Dalot throw-in was flicked on by a Sunderland defender and Sesko was alert to net his second in two games, allowing him to embrace the Old Trafford adulation.
The Black Cats carried out an impromptu investigation on where it had all gone wrong. There was plenty of fingerpointing, but it did not improve the defending as the same almost happened again soon after. Things were going so badly for Sunderland, Régis Le Bris brought off winger Simon Adringra in the 37th minute, replacing him with centre-back Dan Ballard, in an attempt to interrupt United’s dominance.
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Passes were zipping around and Sesko looked comfortable as the focal point of the attack. The intensity and cohesion Amorim desires on a weekly basis was on show. Mbeumo and Diallo repeatedly combined down the right, to give hope of a blossoming relationship, while Mount had arguably his best game for the club. Lemmens was even given a huge cheer for making his first catch.
The two-goal lead felt comfortable, but that did not completely remove the jeopardy. Stuart Attwell awarded a first-half injury-time penalty, believing Sesko had kicked Trai Hume in the head while attempting to clear a throw-in. The referee was wrong, although it was strange the striker thought it sensible to have his boot so high, and overturned his original decision.
Scares and opportunities were rare after the break, as United showed resilience and control, even if the excitement levels dipped. United’s players will now disperse for international duty. When they return, United face a trip to the champions, Liverpool, ensuring the prospect of first-back-to-back wins under Amorim will be difficult but he can plan for that task in peace.
