Sunderland vs Manchester United Preview

Saturday’s 3pm fixture at the Stadium of Light represents a sharp contrast in ambitions. Manchester United arrive in the north-east having won three consecutive league matches and carrying genuine momentum as they look to secure third place and a return to European football next season. Sunderland, still finding their feet at this level in what is their first Premier League campaign back in the top flight, face a stern test but will draw confidence from their own crowd and the form that has kept them comfortably clear of trouble.

Sunderland’s recent five-match run has been a mixed picture. Their most recent outing ended in a 1–1 draw away at Wolverhampton Wanderers — a point on the road that continues their solid foundation of survival with distance. Prior to that, they endured their heaviest defeat of the campaign, a 5–0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, a result that stands as an outlier in an otherwise creditable season. Before that came a 4–3 defeat away at Aston Villa — a game in which they contributed plenty going forward but were undone defensively. Earlier in this run, they showed what they are capable of at the Stadium of Light, winning 1–0 at home against Tottenham Hotspur, and the sequence opened with a fine 2–1 away victory at Newcastle — a result that will have meant a great deal to the Wearside faithful. The Black Cats have shown they can compete and create problems for any opponent on their day.

Manchester United’s form heading into this fixture is among the best in the division over the past fortnight. Their most recent outing produced an impressive 3–2 home victory over Liverpool — a result that demonstrated their quality when performances click into place. Prior to that, they had beaten Brentford 2–1 at home, another composed display. Before that came a disciplined 1–0 away win at Chelsea, which underlined the strength of their defensive unit on the road. Earlier in the run, they were beaten 2–1 at home by Leeds — the only defeat — before the sequence opened with a 2–2 draw away at Bournemouth. Three wins in the last three Premier League matches is the form of a team with something significant to play for, and they will be determined to maintain that momentum.

The head-to-head record across the last five meetings heavily favours Manchester United, who have won four, with one win for Sunderland and no draws. Most recently, United claimed a 2–0 home victory in October 2025. In the previous encounter in this fixture — stretching back to April 2017 — United won 3–0 away at the Stadium of Light, a reminder of their dominance in this matchup regardless of setting.

Sunderland sit twelfth in the Premier League on 47 points from 35 matches, eleven points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining — their safety is mathematically secure. Three points here would take them to 50, moving them above Brighton on goal difference to ninth, a finish that would represent a remarkable achievement for a side in their first season back. Manchester United are third on 64 points from 35 matches, six clear of fourth-placed Liverpool. A win would move them to 67 and all but guarantee third place ahead of the final two fixtures.

As a 15:00 Saturday kick-off, this match is subject to the domestic broadcast blackout in the United Kingdom, though Irish viewers can catch the action on Premier Sports ROI 1. In the United States, the match is available on Peacock and SiriusXM FC. The game is also accessible in Germany on Sky Sport Premier League, in Spain on DAZN Spain, and in Australia on Stan Sport.

Lineups & Injuries

Sunderland (4-3-3) Roefs, Mukiele, Alderete, O’Nien, Hume, Diarra, Sadiki, Rigg, Xhaka, Brobbey, Fée

Sunderland: Mundle (Out), Traoré (Out), Ballard (Out), Angulo (Doubtful)

Manchester United (4-2-3-1) Lammens, Shaw, Heaven, Maguire, Dalot, Casemiro, Mainoo, Sesko, Fernandes, Mbeumo, Cunha

Manchester United: de Ligt (Out)

Sunderland carry the heavier injury burden — three confirmed absentees plus a doubtful Angulo deplete their squad options in defence and midfield, with Ballard’s absence in particular weakening their central defensive cover. Manchester United are relatively unaffected; de Ligt’s absence at centre-back is their only confirmed loss, and with Maguire and Heaven available, their defensive structure remains largely intact.

Sunderland Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–1	Sunderland	English Premier League	May 2, 2026
❌	Sunderland	0–5	Nottingham Forest	English Premier League	Apr 24, 2026
❌	Aston Villa	4–3	Sunderland	English Premier League	Apr 19, 2026
✅	Sunderland	1–0	Tottenham Hotspur	English Premier League	Apr 12, 2026
✅	Newcastle United	1–2	Sunderland	English Premier League	Mar 22, 2026

Manchester United Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Manchester United	3–2	Liverpool	English Premier League	May 3, 2026
✅	Manchester United	2–1	Brentford	English Premier League	Apr 27, 2026
✅	Chelsea	0–1	Manchester United	English Premier League	Apr 18, 2026
❌	Manchester United	1–2	Leeds United	English Premier League	Apr 13, 2026
🤝	AFC Bournemouth	2–2	Manchester United	English Premier League	Mar 20, 2026

Head to Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Manchester United	2–0	Sunderland	English Premier League	Oct 4, 2025
Sunderland	0–3	Manchester United	English Premier League	Apr 9, 2017
Manchester United	3–1	Sunderland	English Premier League	Dec 26, 2016
Sunderland	2–1	Manchester United	English Premier League	Feb 13, 2016
Manchester United	3–0	Sunderland	English Premier League	Sep 26, 2015

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
Ireland	Premier Sports ROI 1
United States	Peacock, SiriusXM FC
Germany	Sky Sport Premier League, Sky Go, WOW
Spain	DAZN Spain, DAZN1 Spain, Movistar+
Australia	Stan Sport
India	JioHotstar
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
Norway	Viaplay Norway, V Sport Premier League
Netherlands	Viaplay Netherlands
Japan	U-NEXT

Premier League Table

Pos	Club	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Arsenal	35	23	7	5	67	26	41	76
2	Man City	34	21	8	5	69	32	37	71
3	Man United	35	18	10	7	63	48	15	64
4	Liverpool	35	17	7	11	59	47	12	58
5	Aston Villa	35	17	7	11	48	44	4	58
6	Bournemouth	35	12	16	7	55	52	3	52
7	Brentford	35	14	9	12	52	46	6	51
8	Brighton	35	13	11	11	49	42	7	50
9	Chelsea	35	13	9	13	54	48	6	48
10	Everton	35	13	9	13	44	44	0	48
11	Fulham	35	14	6	15	44	49	-5	48
12	Sunderland	35	12	11	12	37	46	-9	47
13	Newcastle	35	13	6	16	49	51	-2	45
14	Leeds	35	10	13	12	47	52	-5	43
15	Palace	34	11	10	13	36	42	-6	43
16	Nottm Forest	35	11	9	15	44	46	-2	42
17	Tottenham	35	9	10	16	45	54	-9	37
18	West Ham	35	9	9	17	42	61	-19	36
19	Burnley	35	4	8	23	35	71	-36	20
20	Wolves	35	3	9	23	25	63	-38	18