Man Utd have turned their season around three league wins in a row, to drag themselves to within four points of the top four. The winning run also includes a victory over Zorya in the Europa League, and they are in splendid form at present. Sunderland are battling relegation and making a good fist of it, but they will not look at this as a game they are likely to win.
It will be a big day for David Moyes as it will be his first trip to Old Trafford since he was unceremoniously sacked as Man Utd manager a few seasons ago. Getting a result against his former employers would mean the world to him, but it will be a tall order for his limited Sunderland side. They will be without Adnan Januazj, who is on loan from Man Utd, and will have to rely on the likes of Patrick van Aanholt for creativity. The introduction of Victor Anichebe as a strike partner for the always-lethal Jermain Defoe was the catalyst for Sunderland’s transformation, as they shrugged off the worst start to a Premiership season of any team ever to drastically improve. They have won four out of their last seven to climb off the bottom of the table, but you get the feeling they will look beyond the Man Utd game to the following match against Burnley as their best chance of claiming three points over the festive period. Anichebe has been a bit quieter in their last few games and Sunderland might be a bit overawed by playing at Old Trafford.
With Michael Carrick restored to the heart of the midfield, Man Utd have finally clicked. After their worst start to a season in more than 20 years, they have won three on the bounce, and their 1-0 victory over Tottenham really galvanized them and gave them something to build on. Alongside Carrick, Paul Pogba is starting to justify his enormous transfer fee by showing skill, drive and power in the middle of the park. He was colossal against Spurs and has continued that rich vein of form. Up front Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been superb. He ended a six-game goal drought with a brace against Swansea and has 10 goals in his last nine games. Jesse Lingard put in a fantastic shift in the 2-0 win over West Brom last weekend, and the defence is finally playing like a Jose Mourinho defence, conceding just one in their last three games.
The odds on a Man Utd win are very short, just 1.25 with Green Listed Bookmakers like William Hill, Betfred and Paddy Power, so all that is really good for is putting in an accumulator or placing a large amount of money on. To get more value, you have to start thinking about placing some sort of handicap on Utd. Man Utd winning to nil looks a good option. With Defoe in the side, there is always a danger of Sunderland scoring, but Sunderland have failed to score in three of their last five games – a 1-0 loss to Chelsea, a 3-0 defeat against Swansea and a 2-0 reverse against Liverpool – and Man Utd will fancy another clean sheet here. Another option would be to go Man Utd -1.75 on the Asian handicap at 1.87 with Bet Victor.
Given Ibrahimovic’s recent form you would fancy him to score at any time against this limited Sunderland defence, which has conceded 28 goals in 17 games. He is the focal point of Utd’s attacks and has been getting excellent service from the likes of Lingaard and Pogba of late. William Hill has 1.75 on him scoring at any time, and that looks good them Bet Victor will only go to 1.55.
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