Manchester United cruised to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon, producing what was arguably their most convincing performance of the season to date.
With this victory, Man United return to the top of the Premier League table, at least temporarily, with 10 points. They find themselves in eighth place, with a two-point cushion ahead of Chelsea.
Although it was an impressive performance all-round from Ruben Amorim’s team, Senne Lammens was undoubtedly a standout performer, producing a scintillating performance in front of the Old Trafford crowd on his debut for the club.
A hero has arrived
The goalkeeper position has long been an area of vulnerability for United, with none of their recent signings living up to expectations. That is, until Lammens arrived.
Two minutes before half-time, the Belgian was called into action for the first time, making a full-stretch save to deny Granit Xhaka from close range.
In the second half, he proved how quick his reflexes are, making an expert leg save to deny Chemsdine Talbi in a one-on-one effort.
Seconds later, Sunderland were on the attack again, with a threatening cross being lifted into the box. While the area was filled with Sunderland players, Lammens leapt up to collect the ball confidently, remaining the boss of his box unlike both of his predecessors this season.
Lammens’ game in numbers
In total, Lammens made three saves, earning United their first clean sheet of the season.
He completed his only run out of the match while executing two high claims.
Lammens had just one aerial duel, while completing 12 of 38 long balls.
Although his long ball and passing accuracy left a lot to be desired (18/44 passes for 41% accuracy) such a high number of attempts was encouraging, showing his eagerness to spur on his team’s attacking build-ups.
He only had to perform one clearance – a testament of United’s dominance on the day.
Ultimately, it was a confident performance from a highly-rated goalkeeper.
Hopefully, he can continue to produce such performances as United seek to build some winning form this season.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
