Sunderland vs Man United Highlights: FT SUN 0-0 MUN; Sunderland, United play out goalless draw at Stadium of Light

That’s it from us in our coverage of the Sunderland vs Manchester United Premier League fixture. Do follow our coverage of Manchester City’s home game against Brentford by clicking here.

United and Sunderland remain third and 12th respectively on the table, with the former now leading current title holders Liverpool by six points with two games to go. Aston Villa could narrow the gap to four points if they beat relegated Burnley away from home tomorrow. The Red Devils, however, are favourites to finish among the top-three at the end of the season.

Sunderland remained ahead in terms of possession right down to the final whistle. United, however, did well to narrow the gap in the ‘Shots’ column in the second half.

90+4′: Sunderland and Manchester United collect a point each at the Stadium of Light after playing out a goalless draw! Plenty happened during the stoppage time, with United being awarded a couple of corners and Cunha producing a right-footed shot from inside the penalty area that is blocked by Roefs in what is the most promising chance of the game for the Red Devils. The Brazilian forward also gets a yellow card in the final minute of stoppage time.

90′: Régis Le Bris sends Eliezer Mayenda in place of Trai Hume. Four minutes, meanwhile, have been added in stoppage time at the Stadium of Light.

88′: Fernandes is down immediately after a firing the ball towards the Sunderland penalty area that none of his teammates are able to connect with. Replays show Fernandes getting elbowed on the face, but the referee decides against making a booking and awarding United a free kick.

82′: A chorus of boos ring around the Stadium of Light after Brobbey appears to bring Luke Shaw down inside the box, leading to the referee blasting his whistle. Brobbey, however, is visibly unhappy with the decision. Shaw, after all, wasn’t even looking at the ball and appeared focused on blocking the Dutchman’s access to the ball at any cost. Brobbey was about to take a shot when the ref halted play.

79′: Nilson Angulo comes in for Chemsdine Talbi, who had produced the first promising chance of the game in the fifth minute.

75′: Bryan Mbeumo replaces Amad Diallo right after Sunderland’s set piece, with the home team yet to make a change 75 minutes into the contest. Can Mbeumo’s inclusion help United break the deadlock?

75′: Free kick awarded to Sunderland at a promising position with another 15 minutes left in regular time after a foul by Bruno Fernandes, but it ends with a weak header deflecting the ball well away from the goalpost.

70′: Sunderland had a relatively quiet start in the second half, but are starting to threaten United’s defence at regular intervals once again! The latest of Sunderland’s incursions into the United penalty area ends with Lutsharel Geertruida hitting the left post with a left-footed shot from outside the box. Lammens decided to leave the ball, assuming it was going wide, and nearly paid the price for the same.

65′: We witness the first substitution at the Stadium of Light with Man United manager Michael Carrick sending Patrick Dorgu out to the pitch in place of Joshua Zirkzee, who had been awarded a yellow card just minutes earlier.

64′: Another golden chance for Sunderland, this time shortly after the hour mark as Brian Brobbey tees off from the right channel and finds himself clear at the centre of the United box with only the goalkeeper to beat. Lammens, however, dives to his right to block the left-footed strike that was aimed at the bottom left corner, denying the Dutch striker yet again!

58′: As was the case with Mount, Zirkzee enters the referee’s book for a foul committed on Alderete, bringing the Paraguayan defender down with a touch on his shoulder. Free kick awarded to Sunderland.

54′: The referee makes his first booking of the game as Mount gets a yellow card for a foul on Alderete nearly the midfield.

51′: Cunha meets a lob inside the box, but isn’t in control of the ball and loses possession before he can take aim at the Sunderland goal.

46′: This time it’s Sunderland who get the ball rolling and are attacking from left to right. Can they finally break the deadlock after falling short multiple times in the first half?

Sunderland are ahead in terms of possession (53 per cent) and have made 9 shots compared to just 3 for United.

45+1′: Just one minute added in stoppage time after the clock hits the 45-minute mark. Sunderland get a stoppage-time corner, but that ends in a goal kick for Lammens, with the referee blasting his whistle shortly after.

Sunderland were the better team in the first half, which reflects in the match statistics so far, and will count themselves unlucky to not be heading back to their locker room 1-0 up.

45′: Zirkzee runs down the right channel, and his shot deflects away for a corner kick off a defender. Can United break the deadlock at the end of the first half?

35′: Nothing comes off the free kick for Sunderland, and Man United’s attempt to launch a counter also fizzles out rather quickly. Sunderland, meanwhile, have 19 touches in the opposition’s box compared to just one for United, which highlights the massive gulf between the two teams in the first half.

34′: Corner to Sunderland after another left-footed shot by Brobbey, this time from a more central position, takes a deflection off one of the United deflection. The subsequent set piece ends with a free kick to Sunderland just outside the box following a foul.

31′: United are starting to become a lot more active in their opponent’s third now. However, it is Sunderland who have produced far more chances today, the latest of which is a left-footed shot by Brian Brobbey from a tight angle to Lammens’ left that rolls past the goalpost for a goal kick.

27′: Bruno takes another set piece after a foul committed by Hume, and it ends with a corner to the away teams after a Maguire shot deflects away off one of the Sunderland defenders. One corner leads to another, and the second one ends with a Zirkzee header that goes over the goalpost. Robin Roefs, who has barely been challenged today, barely has to make a leap in the end.

23′: The umbrellas are out at the Stadium of Light, and the players have had to make use of a towel a number of times so far in the contest. United, meanwhile, are struggling to make incursions into Sunderland’s third at the moment. Can the Red Devils find that spark that will turn the game on its head?

19′: Sunderland plead for a penalty after the ball appears to brush Amad’s arm inside the area off a shot taken from close range following a throw-in. The referee ignores the Black Cats for now and VAR later confirms Amad wasn’t in the wrong.

17′: Sunderland currently enjoy 56 per cent of the possession and have three shots compared to just one for their opponents. They certainly have been the livelier of the two teams in action at the Stadium of Light.

11′: Bruno Fernandes decides to take the set pieces and opts against taking a shot at the goalpost from just outside the area, instead passing the ball to Amad. Needless to say, the strategy doesn’t work for now. Amad had taken a left-footed shot at the Sunderland goal a couple of minutes earlier after being fed the ball by Bruno following another set piece, only for it to fly wide.

6′: The Black Cats have suddenly switched on and how! A minute after Chemsdine Talbi’s shot flies wide, Noah Sadiki charges forward and gets into a 1v1 with the United keeper after connecting with an excellent through ball. Lammens dives to his right to deflect the ball away from the goalpost for a corner kick.

5′: Not much happens in the first half barring a shot taken by Sunderland’s Talbi in the fifth minute, which flies wide of the goalpost to Lammens’ left.