Manchester United tactics
Louis van Gaal made five changes to the side that lost at Swansea City but most of those changes seemed enforced because Luke Shaw was reportedly tired, Phil Jones missed the game through illness and Robin van Persie is now out with an ankle injury.
That meant that the Dutch boss could not turn to his preferred central defensive partnership of Jones and Marcos Rojo. He settled for Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling at the heart of that defence, with Rojo and Antonio Valencia occupying the full-back spots where they supplied width in attack.
United had to adopt their usual possession-based approach, with Daley Blind and Ander Herrera as the central midfielders recycling possession in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Wayne Rooney started as an advanced central midfielder pushing on to support Radamel Falcao.
On the wings, Angel Di Maria had to come infield to float between the lines from the right flank while Ashley Young kept the width down the left flank, looking to supply in-swinging crosses into the box and get to the by-line to get cut backs into the box.
When out of possession, Di Maria and Young pressed from the sides of central midfield with Rooney defending just behind Falcao. Blind and Herrera protected the back-four as a pair while the full-backs dropped back to the defensive line to complete United’s defensive formation.
Sunderland tactics
Gus Poyet went with his usual 4-1-4-1 formation but the Black Cats had to pick moments when they had to press United high up the pitch to stop them from comfortably building play from the back. Otherwise, they contained Van Gaal’s men in a deep and compact 4-5-1 formation.
When United had sustained possession, Jermain Defoe led the pressing while Adam Johnson and Connor Wickham dropped to the sides of midfield to track back with the hosts’ full-backs. In central midfield, Jordi Gomez and Sebastian Larsson engaged Manchester United’s central midfielders while Lee Cattermole worked between the lines as the deepest lying central midfielder.
Sunderland had to primarily rely on quick transitional play, with Wickham and Johnson charging forward from the flanks to exploit the space that United’s full-backs left behind, while Defoe led the attack by making runs off Manchester United’s central defenders.
When the Black Cats had good spells of possession, full-backs Patrick van Aanholt and Anthony Reveillere were allowed to push on down the flanks, while the advanced central midfielders – Gomez and Larsson – backed up play through the middle.
Johnson kept the width down the left flank while Wickham made diagonal runs from the right side of midfield to join Defoe up top as a supporting striker.
Key tactical changes
United dominated possession and they kept play in the attacking half, but the Black Cats actually had better chances in the opening 45 minutes. United’s main threat came from Young, who operated as an out-and-out winger down the left flank, so Van Gaal detailed Adnan Januzaj to complement Young’s efforts by coming on as a right winger.
United created more chances after that but the key moment came when Falcao won the penalty that gave them the lead, while Sunderland were forced to chase the game with 10 men.
Sunderland had to absorb United’s attacks in a 4-4-1 formation so Larsson, Gomez and Danny Graham all joined Cattermole in forming the midfield line of four that protected the back-four. That trio also pushed on to support Steven Fletcher up top.
When Sunderland were a man light, United retained the ball with Young and Januzaj keeping the width down the flanks, looking to stretch Sunderland’s defensive unit while linking up with full-backs down the flanks.
In the end, what started as a tricky game for Van Gaal’s men turned into a comfortable win as they sealed the victory with Rooney’s second goal.
