Manchester United 3-0 Sunderland: Player Ratings

Manchester United moved to the top of the Premier League thanks to a comfortable 3-0 win against Sunderland at Old Trafford and some stars stole the show – Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling just two to name..

After Manchester City were thrashed by Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day, United kicked off knowing a victory would see them overtake their bitter rivals.

A slow start to the game was quickly forgotten when Memphis Depay scored his first Premier League goal on the stroke of half-time following good work from Daley Blind and Juan Mata.

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Shortly after the break, United doubled their lead when Wayne Rooney bundled in Anthony Martial’s cross. Manager Louis van Gaal was then able to make three substitutions with the match effectively over, and Mata put a gloss on the win when he thumped Ashley Young’s cross into the roof of the net moments before the final whistle blew.

Here are the player ratings from the game:

David De Gea – 7

United’s level of control meant the Spaniard had little to do, but he saved smartly from Jeremain Lens in the first half and then repeated the trick when Patrick van Aanholt shot from inside the box in the second half. De Gea did well when called upon and deservedly kept a clean sheet.

Antonio Valencia – 6

The Ecuadorian was untroubled defensively, but his lack of end product in attack proved frustrating. His crossing and passing from the final third rarely threatened the Sunderland defence. With Mata often tucked in from the right wing, Valencia had plenty of space to exploit but failed to capitalise.

Chris Smalling – 8

Sunderland began the game with Fabio Borini as a lone striker, meaning Smalling was able to focus on attacking just as much as defending. He carried the ball forward extremely well, used his speed to burst past opponents and found his team-mates with his passing. His tackle on Steven Fletcher late in the second half demonstrated his improvement as a player, and once again it was an impressive performance from the English centre-back.

Daley Blind – 8

Like Smalling, Blind was able to instigate attacks from defence, and it was his brilliant ball over the top of the Sunderland defence that led to the game’s opening goal. The Dutchman’s passing has been a real feature of United’s play in the opening stages of this season, and this game was no different. He was, however, shrugged off the ball midway through the first half when Lens had a shot on goal. Whether he has the defensive quality remains to be seen, but Blind was once again excellent at the heart of defence.

Morgan Schneiderlin – 7

With Sunderland happy to sit back and defend, the Frenchman had little to do defensively. But he was ineffective in attack and struggled to have an impact on proceedings. In truth, United didn’t need to play two deep-lying midfielders against the Premier League’s worst side, and Schneiderlin was able to cruise through the game. He didn’t put a foot wrong, but neither did he impress.

Michael Carrick – 7

United’s vice-captain demonstrated his understanding of the game midway through the first half when he intercepted a stray pass and put Memphis through on goal. His passing was typically excellent, he made an important block to prevent Ola Toivonen’s shot threatening De Gea’s goal in the second half and he was withdrawn shortly after. It was a comfortable game for United’s most senior player.

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Juan Mata – 8

This game perhaps summed up the Spaniard’s time at United so far. He was on the fringes of the match for long spells, but he chipped in with a goal and an assist. His unselfish pass across the penalty area allowed Memphis to score the first goal, and his cushioned touch and powerful finish sealed the win at the end of the game. Questions regarding his position as a winger will continue to be asked, but Mata now has 29 goals and assists in 55 Premier League games for United, which represents a very decent return.

Wayne Rooney – 8

This was Rooney’s best performance in a United shirt in some time. In the first half, his clever flick on the halfway line opened up space for him to charge into and fire a cross into the box. He then scored right at the start of the second half, which seemed to give him a confidence boost. United’s captain then began to dictate the game somewhat, charging forward late on and nearly scoring a brilliant solo goal. Rooney, at times, played too deep, but his performance was promising nonetheless.

Memphis Depay – 6

Despite scoring his first Premier League goal, Memphis had a disappointing game. His crosses were wasteful, his tricks rarely paid off and he was eventually replaced by Young. The Dutchman is clearly a special talent – and his goal changed the context of the match – but his end product and decision-making need to improve. He missed a good chance to score a second in the game when put through on goal by Martial.

Anthony Martial – 9

Had he scored a goal, the Frenchman would have registered a perfect 10. The 19-year-old was superb on his first start at Old Trafford, displaying great athleticism to hold onto possession, brush defenders off the ball and lead United’s attack. It was his clever play that led to United’s second goal, and he could have picked up another assist were it not for Memphis’ weak shot. Martial has settled in extremely quickly, and this was another performance that illustrated what a fine player he could be for United this season.

Substitutes:

Bastian Schweinsteiger – 7

The German has quickly become a fan-favourite and had his name sung by the Old Trafford crowd for much of the game. When he replaced Carrick in the second half, he controlled the match and ensured Sunderland were unable to pose a threat. If he’s managed properly, Schweinsteiger will be a terrific signing for United.

Phil Jones – 7

The English centre-back has missed the first chunk of the season through injury but came on in the second half to make his first Premier League appearance of 2015/16. In truth, he had little to do and was able to enjoy the final moments of the game.

Ashley Young – 7

With Memphis unimpressive in the match, Young staked his claim to start ahead of the Dutchman in United’s next game against Wolfsburg. His end product was more consistent, and it was his low cross that lead to the third and final goal. An impressive cameo.

Next: Man Utd 3-0 Sunderland: United go top

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