2 Up, 2 Down: Gritty Sunderland Give Manchester United A Scare
The Lads were unlucky not to beat the Red Devils after a superb home display. What did our writers make of the game?
Noah Sadiki of Sunderland takes a shot on goal during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Manchester United at Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, United Kingdom, on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Ciaran McKenna says… A much improved performance from the Lads We moved the ball quickly and were a threat on the attack. After the last few poorer performances, it was nice to see us being positive with the ball and giving the fans something to get behind.
We didn’t give them a look in for almost the whole ninety four minutes. A strong display and hopefully something to build on for these last two games. Superb defensive resilience I’ve mentioned it before, but the defensive display deserves highlighting.
After conceding ten goals in the last three, we needed to find the brilliantly resolute defending we have became known for these last ten months — and we did. Despite missing Ballard we kept a team who have scored in every match since the end of November at bay rather comfortably. Specific shout out to Geertruida too – excellent today and unlucky not to score.
Some wasteful finishing We continue to lack that ruthless finishing touch. We do brilliantly to get in good positions, but rarely make good with it. We were maybe slightly unfortunate not to score yesterday, but it’s been a season-long issue and something I am sure the club will be looking to improve upon next season.
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