Sunderland vs Manchester United Prediction, Preview and Stats

England flag 2025/2026 Premier League, England
Stadium of Light Sat, 9 May - 2:00 PM
Premier League
Sunderland SUN
0 – 0
Manchester United MUN
Full Time Sat, 9 May 2:00 PM
Round 36 Regular Season

CONTEXT

Sunderland and Manchester United played out a tense 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League. The home side held a slight edge in possession at 51% to 49%, but neither team could break the deadlock despite Manchester United's status as the stronger outfit. The first half ended level at 0-0, with both defenses standing firm and few clear-cut chances emerging. The second half followed suit, as Sunderland's organized setup frustrated Manchester United's attacks, leading to a share of the spoils. This result marks a significant structural deviation from pre-match expectations, where Manchester United were anticipated to prevail. No red cards or major disruptions occurred, keeping the contest balanced throughout. The stalemate highlights Sunderland's resilience against a top side, while Manchester United will rue missed opportunities to secure victory. Possession was evenly split, underscoring the tactical battle.

TL;DR

  • Structural deviation: Significant 73.9% structural deviation occurred, with Manchester United underperforming expectations.
  • Efficiency shift: Efficiency shift remained in line with pre-match assessments.
  • xG alignment: xG alignment cannot be determined due to unavailable data.
  • Market alignment: Market alignment was not met as the draw contradicted pre-match favoritism for Manchester United.
  • xG expectations: xG expectations unavailable for evaluation.
  • Event impact: No notable events influenced the match outcome.
  • Red card distortion: No red cards occurred, resulting in zero distortion.
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality

Match referee

D. Whitestone

England 25 matches in sample
Avg. cards 0.12
Fouls / match 0.52
Yellow cards / match 0.12
Red cards / match 0
Penalties / match 0

Other match officials

C. Hatzidakis

1st Assistant

England

N. Greenhalgh

2nd Assistant

England

Dean Whitestone

4th Official

League averages

Premier League Based on last 100 matches

Fouls / match 19.78
Yellow cards / match 3.66
Red cards / match 0.12
Penalties / match 0.18
Sunderland R. Le Bris
R. Le Bris
VS
Manchester United M. Carrick
M. Carrick
1.17
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
1.92
1.17 i
Last 6 Opponents
Wolverhampton Wanderers Rank: 79 D
Nottingham Forest Rank: 85 L
Aston Villa Rank: 91 L
Tottenham Hotspur Rank: 85 W
Newcastle United Rank: 89 W
Brighton & Hove Albion Rank: 90 L
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
2.17 i
Last 6 Opponents
Liverpool Rank: 93 W
Brentford Rank: 88 W
Chelsea Rank: 89 W
Leeds United Rank: 87 L
AFC Bournemouth Rank: 90 D
Aston Villa Rank: 91 W
3
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
3 - 5 - 23
23

Win Probabilities

Live Win Probability (90 Min)
Home Sunderland
27.58%
Draw
26.11%
Away Manchester United
46.31%

Movement

Changes since opening
Sunderland
+23.51%
Draw
-65.74%
Manchester United
+42.24%

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power ranking is SportMonks' model-based team strength indicator. Historical input capped to 2 seasons.
81.27
91.69
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Sunderland
Manchester United
Power Score
81.27
91.69
League Position
12
3
Global Rank
52
9

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Sunderland — Opponent-weighted form score
Manchester United — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Sunderland Manchester United

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

–
vs

Sunderland

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Manchester United

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

Possession Efficiency Possession-Adjusted

How effectively each team uses and defends their share of possession. Efficiency adjusted based on team possession percentage

Sunderland ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Manchester United
Attacking Efficiency
Higher is better
Attacking Efficiency
34.02
26.43
Defensive Efficiency
Lower is better
Defensive Efficiency
26.43
34.02
Combined Efficiency Index Z-score combining attacking and defensive possession-adjusted efficiency.
Positive = above league average.
Negative = below league average.
Formula: EfficiencyIndex = z(AttackEff) − z(DefenceEff)
-3 0 3
Sunderland +0.85 Efficiency Index
vs
Manchester United -0.85 Efficiency Index
xG data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using shots and dangerous attacks (proxy). Confidence: Medium.
Sunderland
Manchester United
AttackEff = xG ÷ pos
DefenceEff = xGA ÷ (1−pos)

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

Sunderland ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy Manchester United
Created Set-piece attacking threat
Sunderland Manchester United
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
—
—
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
— vs —
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
Sunderland Manchester United
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
—
—
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
— vs —
xG set-piece data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using proxy metrics (shots, dangerous attacks). Confidence: Medium.
Sunderland
Manchester United
xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG
vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

–
Sunderland
vs
Manchester United
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
Sunderland Manchester United
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
Sunderland 0.32
Manchester United 0.28
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
Sunderland Manchester United
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
Sunderland 0.00
Manchester United 0.00
Sunderland
Manchester United
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • SUN had peak pressure around 67'.
  • SUN started the game with stronger pressure.
SUN Pressure MUN Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: SUN reached the top pressure at 67' (69.19).

Team Head to Head Last 6 Seasons

Summary of 31 matches between these sides — filtered by competition and venue context.

Sunderland SUN Home
31 matches
Manchester United MUN Away
Match Record
3
Wins
23
5
Draws
5
23
Losses
3
Goals
18
Goals Scored
56
56
Goals Conceded
18
-38
Goal Difference
+38

Data last updated: 2026-05-10T00:02:28+00:00

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Pitch
R. Roefs
Netherlands
22 R. Roefs
L. Geertruida
Netherlands
6 L. Geertruida
N. Mukiele Mulere
France
20 N. Mukiele Mulere
O. Alderete Fernández
Paraguay
15 O. Alderete Fernández
R. Mandava
Mozambique
17 R. Mandava
G. Xhaka
Switzerland
34 G. Xhaka
N. Sadiki
Belgium
27 N. Sadiki
T. Hume
Substitution
Northern Ireland
32 T. Hume
E. Le Fée
France
28 E. Le Fée
C. Talbi
Substitution
Belgium
7 C. Talbi
B. Brobbey
Netherlands
9 B. Brobbey
Pitch
S. Lammens
Belgium
31 S. Lammens
L. Shaw
England
23 L. Shaw
L. Martínez
Argentina
6 L. Martínez
H. Maguire
England
5 H. Maguire
N. Mazraoui
Morocco
3 N. Mazraoui
K. Mainoo
England
37 K. Mainoo
M. Mount
England
7 M. Mount
M. Carneiro Da Cunha
Brazil
10 M. Carneiro Da Cunha
B. Fernandes
Portugal
8 B. Fernandes
A. Traoré
Substitution
Ivory Coast
16 A. Traoré
J. Zirkzee
Substitution
Netherlands
11 J. Zirkzee

General Information

Date & Time :
May 09, 2026, 02:00 PM
Competition :
2025/2026 Premier League, England · Round 36 · Regular Season
Stadium :
Stadium of Light
Capacity :
48707
Attendance :
47233
Pitch Surface :
Grass
Weather :
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees :
Dean Whitestone
Constantine Hatzidakis
Nick Greenhalgh
Dean Whitestone

Statistics

Possession
SUN
50%
MUN
50%

Top Statistics

1 Big Chances Created 0
6 Shots 5
47 Dangerous attacks 39
51 Possession 49
6 Corners 7
11 Free kicks 14
0 Yellow Cards 3

Match Overview

8 Throwins 13
8 Goal Attempts 5
14 Dribble Attempts 8
17 Successful Headers 8
5 Goal Kicks 9
56 Ball Safe 52
36 Successful Dribbles Percentage 50
5 Successful Dribbles 4
2 Substitutions 2
1 Injuries 0
1 Hit Woodwork 0

Attacking

79 Attacks 73
1 Big Chances Missed 0

Possession

47 Successful Long Passes Percentage 51
481 Passes 473
12 Key Passes 9
84 Successful Passes Percentage 82
403 Successful Passes 389
18 Successful Long Passes 28
38 Long Passes 55

Defensive

10 Interceptions 11
42 Duels Won 37
10 Tackles 14
1 Saves 4

Build-up

17 Total Crosses 16
2 Accurate Crosses 4

Discipline

1 Offsides 0
12 Fouls 11

Lineup

Referee : Dean Whitestone

Starting XI ▼

22
Robin Roefs
Robin Roefs Goalkeeper
6
Lutsharel Geertruida
Lutsharel Geertruida Defender
15
Omar Alderete
Omar Alderete Defender
17
Reinildo Mandava
Reinildo Mandava Defender
20
Nordi Mukiele
Nordi Mukiele Defender
7
Chemsdine Talbi
Chemsdine Talbi Midfielder
10
Nilson Angulo
Nilson Angulo
Attacker79'
27
Noah Sadiki
Noah Sadiki Midfielder
28
Enzo Le Fée
Enzo Le Fée Midfielder
32
Trai Hume
Trai Hume Midfielder
12
Eliezer Mayenda
Eliezer Mayenda
Attacker90'
34
Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka Midfielder
9
Brian Brobbey
Brian Brobbey Attacker
Referee : Dean Whitestone

Starting XI ▼

31
Senne Lammens
Senne Lammens Goalkeeper
3
Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui Defender
5
Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire Defender
6
Lisandro Martínez
Lisandro Martínez Defender
23
Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw Defender
7
Mason Mount
Mason Mount Midfielder
8
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes Midfielder
10
Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha Midfielder
16
Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo Midfielder
19
Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo
Attacker75'
37
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo Midfielder
11
Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee Attacker
13
Patrick Dorgu
Patrick Dorgu
Defender65'

Events

2ND-HALF
90+3'
Event
Matheus Cunha
Simulation / 3rd Yellowcard
Event
Eliezer Mayenda → Trai Hume
4th Substitution
90'
Event
Nilson Angulo → Chemsdine Talbi
3rd Substitution
79'
75'
Event
Bryan Mbeumo → Amad Diallo
2nd Substitution
65'
Event
Patrick Dorgu → Joshua Zirkzee
1st Substitution
58'
Event
Joshua Zirkzee
Foul / 2nd Yellowcard
54'
Event
Mason Mount
Foul / 1st Yellowcard

Match Commentary

60
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Noussair Mazraoui concedes.
59
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Noussair Mazraoui concedes it.
58
Update Update
Omar Alderete from Sunderland won a free kick in an attacking position.
58
Update Update
Foul committed by Joshua Zirkzee - Manchester United.
58
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United receives a yellow card for a foul.
54
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Mason Mount of Manchester United receives a yellow card for a foul.
52
Update Update
Trai Hume from Sunderland won a free kick in defense.
52
Update Update
Foul by Luke Shaw - Manchester United.
51
Attempt Attempt
Bruno Fernandes' shot from outside the box is blocked. Noussair Mazraoui provided the assist.
51
Attempt Attempt
Matheus Cunha's shot for Manchester United from the center of the box is blocked. Bruno Fernandes provided the assist with a cross.
49
Attempt Attempt
Missed chance. Matheus Cunha from Manchester United shoots with his right foot from outside the box, but it goes high. Assist from Noussair Mazraoui.
47
Update Update
Matheus Cunha of Manchester United won a free kick in defense.
45
Update Update
The first half ends with Sunderland and Manchester United tied at 0-0.
45
Attempt Attempt
Matheus Cunha's right-footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
45
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Noussair Mazraoui concedes.
45
Corner Corner
Sunderland is awarded a corner after Noussair Mazraoui concedes it.
45
Corner Corner
Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United had a missed chance, shooting with his right foot from the center of the box after a corner, but it went close and missed.
45
Update Update
The second half begins with the score at Sunderland 0, Manchester United 0.
45
Update Update
The fourth official has indicated there will be 1 minute of added time.
45
Corner Corner
Corner awarded to Manchester United after Nordi Mukiele concedes.
43
Corner Corner
Corner awarded to Manchester United after Granit Xhaka concedes.
41
Update Update
Amad Diallo from Manchester United won a free kick on the right wing.
41
Update Update
Reinildo Mandava fouled Sunderland.
39
Update Update
Trai Hume from Sunderland commits a foul.
39
Update Update
Matheus Cunha of Manchester United won a free kick in defense.
38
Attempt Attempt
Nordi Mukiele's shot from outside the box is blocked.
37
Update Update
Foul committed by Luke Shaw of Manchester United.
37
Update Update
Enzo Le Fée from Sunderland won a free kick on the right wing.
36
Update Update
Omar Alderete commits a foul against Sunderland.
36
Update Update
Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United won a free kick in defense.
34
Update Update
Foul committed by Amad Diallo of Manchester United.
34
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Mason Mount concedes.
34
Attempt Attempt
Noah Sadiki's right-footed shot from the center of the box is blocked. The assist came from Brian Brobbey.
34
Update Update
Noah Sadiki from Sunderland won a free kick in an attacking position.
32
Attempt Attempt
Brian Brobbey from Sunderland had a missed chance, shooting with his right foot from the right side of the box, but the shot went to the left. Trai Hume provided the assist.
30
Update Update
Handball by Brian Brobbey for Sunderland.
28
Attempt Attempt
Missed chance. Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United heads the ball from the center of the box but it goes high. The assist was provided by Matheus Cunha with a cross.
27
Corner Corner
Corner awarded to Manchester United after a concession by Brian Brobbey.
27
Corner Corner
Corner awarded to Manchester United after Brian Brobbey concedes.
26
Update Update
Foul committed by Trai Hume of Sunderland.
26
Update Update
Luke Shaw of Manchester United won a free kick in the attacking area.
24
Corner Corner
Lutsharel Geertruida from Sunderland attempts an attack with a right-footed shot from close range, but it's saved in the right corner by Senne Lammens from Manchester United. The assist was provided by Brian Brobbey.
24
Update Update
Foul by Brian Brobbey against Sunderland.
24
Update Update
Senne Lammens from Manchester United won a free kick in defense.
23
Update Update
Foul committed by Mason Mount - Manchester United.
23
Update Update
Noah Sadiki of Sunderland won a free kick in an attacking position.
20
Update Update
Amad Diallo of Manchester United won a free kick in defense.
20
Update Update
Reinildo Mandava fouled Sunderland.
19
Attempt Attempt
Enzo Le Fée's right-footed shot from the center of the box is blocked. Trai Hume provided the assist.
19
Attempt Attempt
Enzo Le Fée's shot from the center of the box for Sunderland is blocked.
15
Update Update
Trai Hume from Sunderland won a free kick in an attacking position.
15
Update Update
Foul committed by Mason Mount against Manchester United.
13
Update Update
Offside called against Sunderland. Chemsdine Talbi is offside.
11
Corner Corner
New attacking attempt. Brian Brobbey of Sunderland has a right-footed shot from the center of the box, but it's saved in the right corner by Senne Lammens of Manchester United. The assist came from Granit Xhaka.
11
Update Update
There is a delay in the match due to an injury to Noussair Mazraoui from Manchester United.
10
Update Update
Foul committed by Matheus Cunha against Manchester United.
10
Attempt Attempt
Amad Diallo of Manchester United missed a chance, shooting with his left foot from outside the box to the left of the goal. The assist was provided by Bruno Fernandes.
10
Update Update
Granit Xhaka of Sunderland won a free kick in the attacking area.
9
Update Update
Lutsharel Geertruida fouled a Sunderland player.
9
Update Update
Matheus Cunha of Manchester United won a free kick in an attacking position.
8
Corner Corner
Omar Alderete missed a header from the left side of the box, shooting wide to the left. The assist came from Enzo Le Fée, who delivered a cross following a corner.
7
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Mason Mount concedes.
6
Corner Corner
Noah Sadiki from Sunderland attempts an attack, shooting with his right foot from the center of the box, but Senne Lammens from Manchester United saves it in the left corner. The assist came from Enzo Le Fée with a through ball.
6
Corner Corner
Sunderland wins a corner after Senne Lammens concedes.
5
Attempt Attempt
Missed chance. Chemsdine Talbi from Sunderland takes a right-footed shot from outside the box that goes close but misses. The assist was provided by Enzo Le Fée.

CONCLUSION

The 0-0 draw between Sunderland and Manchester United underscores a classic case of defensive solidity trumping attacking intent. Manchester United, deemed the stronger team, failed to convert possession and pressure into goals, leading to a significant deviation from anticipated results. Sunderland's disciplined performance earned a valuable point, boosting their survival hopes. This outcome, even at halftime and full-time, reflects balanced play without disruptions. For Manchester United, it serves as a wake-up call ahead of tougher fixtures, while highlighting vulnerabilities in breaking down resolute defenses. Both sides move on with clean sheets intact.

Sunderland vs Manchester United preview with tactical analysis, xG context, lineup signals, and data-backed betting insights for faster decisions.

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