Analysis: Visitors miss Casemiro

[Getty Images] Casemiro has received a huge amount of praise for his performances this season. Manchester United's fans have taken to chanting "one more year" in the hope the Brazilian would extend his stay at Old Trafford. It won't happen.

His absence this afternoon means an appearance clause that would have triggered an extra year in his contract will not have been met, even if it had not been mutually agreed to remove it, and Casemiro will leave at the end of the season. United have made strengthening central midfield a number one priority in the summer and this performance emphasised why. Kobbie Mainoo has shown his class since Michael Carrick took over and Mason Mount is an astute schemer and a danger in attack.

However, neither read a game like Casemiro - they don't sense danger in the same way, nor do they dictate the flow of a match. It meant the visitors were not able to keep possession and build pressure, and frequently found themselves exposed to a Sunderland attack that would have profited had they been either more clinical or not found Lammens on top form. It remains to be seen exactly how many players United bring in this summer, but two midfielders seems a minimum requirement.

A lack of creativity when skipper Bruno Fernandes is off form was also evident given it took so long to threaten the Sunderland goal.