It was Manchester United which performed like champions on the Sundays Europe Premier League and closed the gap top four with a dominant win over Sunderland. Zlatan Ibrahimovic smashed home the opening goal on the half hour mark from 18 yards out to give Jose Mourinho’s men a deserved lead. Sunderland pushed for an equaliser before the break but Seb Larsson’s controversial red card put paid to their efforts. The numerical advantage was clear to see at the start of the second half, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan firing home the second before a Sunderland player could even touch the ball. And the game was sealed at the death as Marcus Rashford rifled home his first Premier League goal since September.
Whatever you think about Jose Mourinho, he certainly has no loyalty issues with his players. Case in point this afternoon with Marouane Fellaini, who was named as captain – much to the bemusement of United fans on social media. Fellaini was actually the longest-serving United player in the starting XI given other absentees, but the award of the armband was perhaps more than just down to the numbers. Mourinho clearly has faith in his ability and what he brings to the team. Fellaini has now played 90 minutes in each of United’s last four Premier League matches.
Given Jose Mourinho’s recent comments, Luke Shaw’s inclusion in the starting XI came as something of a surprise. The England full-back was given the chance to impress the boss and it is safe to say that Mourinho won’t have too many complaints with his performance. An early booking for a rash tackle was probably the only fault that he made. He certainly gives United extra attacking width when he’s playing and regularly found space down the wing with Sunderland failing to get tight on numerous occasions. There wasn’t much defending to be done, given Sunderland’s lack of goal scoring threat, which probably suited Shaw. He was replaced by Daley Blind on the hour mark and got a pat on the back from Mourinho on his way off.
Another defeat. Another game without a goal. Sunderland are just four games from relegation. At this rate, they might not even score in those four games. It has now been over 11 hours since Sunderland last scored a goal. In just under half of that time, they will be a Championship team. Victor Anichebe’s return to action was a welcome boost for Sunderland, that’s for sure, but he is not a goal scorer – and that’s what they desperately need. Unfortunately, it’s now too late to rectify.
