Man Utd crash to defeat at Sunderland in big blow to top-four hopes

Manchester United's hopes of finishing in the Champions League places were dealt a setback as they lost 2-1 away at Sunderland.

United wasted a weekend when the top four all play one another to make up ground on the Champions League places, and instead Sunderland move onto 23 points from 25 games to assist their fight against relegation.

After just three minutes new Sunderland signing Wahbi Khazri’s free-kick went straight through Jermain Defoe, deceiving David de Gea as the ball squeezed in at the far post.

Just before half time, Anthony Martial scored his 10th of the season for United with a deft chip over Vito Mannone. However, a Lamine Kone header bounced off De Gea for a late Sunderland winner.

Louis van Gaal previously admitted his job would be at risk if United failed to secure Champions League football. That pressure will only increase now.

3’ - GOAL! Sunderland 1-0 Manchester United. Khazri scores: Khazri curls in a low free kick towards Defoe, who misses the ball with an attempted backheel. It skids along the pitch and takes De Gea by surprise, squeezing in.

31’ - MATA SHOT: Rooney picks out Mata's run on the outside of the box, and he clips a first-time shot, but it's straight at the keeper.

39’ - GOAL! Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United. Martial scores: Mata takes a shot from the edge of the box after Rooney flicks it on. Mannone pushes the ball away, and Martial dinks over the follow-up with a ridiculous dink from a tight angle.

54’ - DEFOE CHANCE: Khazri crosses from the left for Defoe, and he flicks in an effort at the near post, but Blind slides in with a last-gasp challenge to concede a corner.

61’ - DE GEA SAVE: N'Doye is played in behind the defence on the right wing. He's just offside, and cuts into the box, and drives a shot across De Gea, who sticks out a leg to save.

82’ - GOAL! Sunderland 2-1 Manchester United. Kone scores: A corner from the right comes to Kone, left alone by Smalling, and his downward header squeezes past De Gea as he lands on the ball, for what could be the winner.

Vito Mannone has not kept a clean sheet since September 2014.

This was only Sunderland's third Premier League victory against Manchester United in 30 attempts.

Can Sunderland spark another revival? Every year they appear to be doomed, and each year in recent memory a famous victory has sparked a run of form to deliver them safety. Manchester United are not the scalp they were, even under David Moyes, but Sunderland look to have finally kicked into gear.

John O’Shea (Sunderland): Kone and Khazri were both excellent, and it seems Sam Allardyce’s new signings can offer enough to make a fist of the relegation scrap. But it was John O’Shea who kept out United’s late pressure, turning what could have been a nervy affair into a demonstration of United’s overall toothlessness in attack.

Sunderland: Mannone 7, Yedlin 7, O’Shea 7, Kone 7, van Aanholt 7, Kirchhoff 6, Cattermole 6, M’Vila 6, Khazri 7, N’Doye 7, Defoe 6. Subs: Rodwell 6, Borini 6, Toivonen 6.

Manchester United: De Gea 5, Darmian 6, Smalling 5, Blind 6, Borthwick-Jackson 6, Schneiderlin 6, Carrick 5, Lingard 5, Mata 5, Martial 6, Rooney 5. Subs: Love 6, Memphis 5, Keane 5.