Sunderland 2-1 Man UtdHome team scorersWahbi Khazri 3
David De Gea 82 o.g.
Away team scorersAnthony Martial 39
As Louis Van Gaal trudged down the tunnel, colour draining from his face with every step, Wahbi Khazri offered Sunderland supporters a succession of thumbs-up signs.
The Tunisia playmaker – a £9m January buy from Bordeaux – had done more than anyone to not only subject Manchester United and their manager to another awful afternoon but offer Sam Allardyce genuine hope that relegation can be averted after all.
Khazri prides himself on applying plenty of whip to his dead-ball delivery and this art enabled him to score Sunderland’s opener before creating the second for Lamine Koné. In between, Anthony Martial contributed a fine equaliser but United were never really in control and swiftly found themselves on the back foot.
When, early in the first half, Matteo Darmian fouled Patrick van Aanholt about 30 yards out, Khazri stepped up to take the left-sided free-kick.
He struck it low and, momentarily, the trajectory looked unpromising. Then Jermain Defoe, apparently attempting to flick it on, stepped over the ball and, with both United’s defence and David de Gea wrong-footed, Khazri’s delivery drifted on unimpeded into the bottom corner.
If the pride of Tunisian football seemed Sunderland’s brightest spark Juan Mata was displaying similar promise for United as he persistently ruffled Allardyce’s defence from his position tucked into the hole just behind Wayne Rooney.
Even so, Mata and company were lucky not to fall behind when Lee Cattermole squeezed a pass into Defoe’s path. The former England striker – who passed a late fitness test before starting – had sneaked in behind Chris Smalling but his connection was poor and, under pressure from De Gea, he miscued from around seven yards.
Defoe looked furious with himself for missing that one and his manager simply downcast as he chewed his gum with increasingly manic intensity. Allardyce though had a bigger worry. Jan Kirchhoff, the 6ft 5in former Bayern Munich defender, deployed in an anchoring role between midfield and defence, appeared to have pulled a hamstring and required replacement by Jack Rodwell.
With Mata still serving as the catalyst United’s passing was starting to click into a convincing passing groove but Khazri thought he should have had a penalty when his shot struck Morgan Schneiderlin on an arm. Detecting a total absence of intent, Andre Marriner refused to buy it and the visiting momentum continued to build.
It was barely disrupted when Darmian – who had at times looked a weak link after loitering in possession – fell awkwardly on a shoulder after challenging for a 50-50 ball with Khazri. With the right-back unable to continue, Darmian was replaced by Donald Love, a Scotland Under-21 international and, shortly afterwards, United equalised.
That goal represented slightly harsh luck on Vito Mannone who had done very well to repel Mata’s imperious curling shot from the edge of the area only to see Martial pounce on the rebound. Having steadied himself Martial directed a delicate little close-range dink over the goalkeeper from the tightest of angles. To call it an accomplished finish would almost be an understatement.
Half-time coincided with the roof of the main stand being hammered by lumps of ice as Wearside was hit by a horrendous hailstorm. Fortunately these conditions had abated by the time the players re-emerged.
Rooney was not destined to enjoy the best of restarts. After collecting a yellow card for needlessly raking his studs down Cattermole’s calf, Van Gaal’s lone striker then seemed hugely relieved not to have conceded a penalty. As Khazri whipped in yet another of those speciality free-kicks Rooney attempted to out-leap John O’Shea and the ball deflected off the United captain’s hand. Rooney’s hands were raised and the extremely sheepish expression on his face as he waited for the referee’s decision suggested he must have been mightily relieved when Marriner waved Sunderland’s appeals away, having presumably decided the forward was merely trying to protect his face.
Other officials might have taken a different view and, if so, Rooney would have received his marching orders for collecting a second yellow card. Instead he was able to help his side withstand a period of home dominance with Yann M’Vila cutting an increasingly influential figure in central midfield.
Defoe too looked sharp and it took a last gasp clearance from Daley Blind to prevent him from scoring after Patrick van Aanholt had delivered a fine low cross. De Gea soon took his turn to play the hero, diverting Dame N’Doye’s shot with an outstretched leg following the forward’s surge beyond Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.
By now the game was going from end to end but De Gea remained the busier goalkeeper, something emphasised when Lamine Koné advanced from centre-half and saw his shot tipped to safety by the Spaniard.
Koné though was simply warming up. Appropriately enough it arrived from another well-executed Khazri corner. Having swivelled Smalling, the former Lorient defender’s downward header was simply too strong for De Gea who got a hand to the ball and pushed it on to Memphis Depay but the ball then squirmed off the goalkeeper. There were suggestions it was an own goal although that would be a bit unfair on Koné.
Down the other end, United then appealed, forlornly, for a handball and penalty when Depay’s shot struck O’Shea but this was Sunderland’s day.
Guardian
