Ruben Amorim breathed a huge sigh of relief as Manchester United marked his 50th game in charge with a priceless victory at Old Trafford. Goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko gave United a 2-0 win over Sunderland and finally handed their under-pressure boss some much-needed cheer.
Mount struck after just eight minutes, latching onto a loose ball before smashing home with precision. It was United’s fastest Premier League goal since Marcus Rashford’s early strike on Amorim’s debut last November. The perfect start silenced nerves inside the ground and had the crowd chanting Amorim’s name long before the final whistle.
Sesko doubled the lead midway through the first half with a poacher’s finish from three yards. That was his second goal in as many games and exactly the type of predatory strike United have been crying out for.
Sunderland thought they had a lifeline when awarded a penalty just before the break, but VAR rescued United after replays showed Sesko had not caught Trai Hume with a high boot. It was the sort of stroke of fortune Amorim has rarely enjoyed since arriving in Manchester.
The Portuguese coach has been haunted by negative records, but this was different. United recorded a third straight home win for the first time in over two years. Amorim also became the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his 50th game in charge.
A huge part of the story was debutant goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Signed from Royal Antwerp for £18.1m, the Belgian was finally given the nod ahead of Altay Bayindir. The Stretford End roared his name before kick-off and the 23-year-old delivered a steady display.
He produced a brilliant low save from Granit Xhaka and claimed a dangerous high ball in the same passage of play before half-time. He repeated the trick late on, keeping out Chemsdine Talbi with his legs before plucking another cross out of the night sky.
Not everything was flawless. Bertrand Traore went down after a collision with Lammens and Bruno Fernandes, but referee Stuart Atwell booked the winger for diving. Had VAR seen it differently, United’s new keeper might have been in trouble.
Still, clean sheets buy credit and Amorim will not care about the rough edges. United’s goals did the talking. Mount’s control and finish were clinical, while Sesko’s tap-in wrapped up the points.
Sunderland boss Regis le Bris was forced into an early tactical change as United tore through his midfield. Keeper Robin Roefs kept the scoreline respectable with fine saves from Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Fernandes.
In the end, though, Old Trafford belonged to Amorim. Under fire and under pressure, he finally had the scoreboard on his side.