Sunderland were left disappointed after missing out on a rare victory against Manchester United as goalkeeper Senne Lammens and the woodwork helped the visitors escape with a draw at the Stadium of Light.
United, who had impressed under interim manager Michael Carrick in recent weeks, failed to produce another strong performance following their emotional victory over rivals Liverpool last week, which secured qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Carrick made five changes to the starting lineup, and the lack of rhythm and sharpness was evident throughout the contest as United failed to register their 11th win in 15 matches under his leadership.
Sunderland looked the more threatening side from the opening stages and nearly took the lead when Noah Sadiki broke clear on goal, only to be denied by an excellent save from Lammens.
The United goalkeeper continued to frustrate the hosts, rushing out bravely to stop Brian Brobbey before later blocking another effort from the Dutch forward in the second half.
Brobbey also created Sunderland’s best chance late in the game, setting up Lutsharel Geertruida, whose strike from the edge of the area crashed against the post.
Manchester United were missing several key players, including veteran midfielder Casemiro, and struggled to match Sunderland’s intensity throughout the match.
Although Sunderland could not secure what would have been only their fourth win over United in 34 Premier League meetings, they managed to avoid a 25th defeat in that run.
