- Manchester United have won two and lost three of their last five league games, sitting 14th with seven points from six.
- Sunderland are 5th in the table with 11 points from their first six games, indicating a strong return to the Premier League.
United test for Sunderland
Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has been a successful one so far, with 11 points from their opening six fixtures putting them in 5th place as we head into the seventh round. This Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United is a perfect litmus test for Ruben Amorim’s tactical system and how far Sunderland have come. According to our Manchester United vs Sunderland preview, this match could provide key insights into both teams' progress this season.
Amorim has a very structured system and it revolves around Bruno Fernandes’ ability to drive the play forward, overloading the centre of the field with numbers and overwhelming opponents when the ball is won back. This has led to some extremely intense football from United when they have the ball but they have been caught out by counter attacks and have struggled to adapt when teams have been able to stop the flow of their game. For those looking for a Manchester United vs Sunderland prediction, it will be vital to assess how United handle Sunderland’s discipline and organized pressing.
Sunderland, on the other hand, have a compact, cohesive unit who are disciplined in their pressing, excellent from set pieces and very effective in transition. Regis Le Bris has been working wonders with the Black Cats and they are a tough nut to crack.
Goals may be in short supply
At 1.52, United are odds-on favourites for Saturday’s game but I think the visitors have enough quality to be a little shorter than their price of 5.75 suggests. The Manchester United vs Sunderland prediction, therefore, hinges on whether Sunderland can capitalize on United's recent defensive lapses. The home team do have an advantage in this game, but they are far from convincing in the Premier League at the moment and this is a match which could be a chess game.
This is also reflected in the Manchester United vs Sunderland betting tips, which suggest that goals may be in short supply as both sides have shown a preference for disciplined defending and patient build up. Sunderland have been trying to force the opposition wide and then press the high wing backs to try and win the ball back in more advanced positions. They have found goals hard to come by on the road, scoring just one in their three away Premier League matches so far, but have only lost once. United have won two of their previous three at Old Trafford, scoring 1.67 and conceding 1.33 per game in the league.
Both sides have been disciplined enough to keep things tight so there is some value in the Under 2.5 goals market at 2.15.
