39 touches, eight accurate long balls: 23-yo was United’s standout performer vs Sunderland

The Manchester United bandwagon came to a stuttering stop at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, 9 May, in the Premier League. For the first time since caretaker manager Michael Carrick’s arrival, the Red Devils failed to find the back of the net, as the Black Cats held them to a 0-0 draw. The English manager made five changes to the team that secured a hard-fought 3-2 win over Liverpool last weekend, but two of those were perhaps forced. United were without Benjamin Sesko, who aggravated a shin injury against the Merseyside club and could not regain fitness for Saturday’s game. Carrick was also without Casemiro, whose absence was sorely felt all game. The Red Devils looked vulnerable in the middle of the park, with Mason Mount failing to impress while operating in an unconventional role. While United came away from Tyne and Wear with a point, things could have been worse had Senne Lammens not stepped up on the day. Lammens redeems himself Against Liverpool last weekend, Lammens made his first major mistake since joining United which led to the Reds’ second goal. The Belgian did make amends by making a crucial save later in the game, and he was back to his impervious best against Sunderland on Saturday. With the home side dominating proceedings and pushing the Red Devils back to the wall for much of the game, it was Lammens who stood up and refused to surrender. The Black Cats attempted 15 shots in the game, including nine from inside the box, but could not get past the Belgian wall. Lammens registered 39 touches and completed 18 of his 32 attempted passes. He also attempted 22 long balls, eight of which were successful. The 23 year old made four saves in the game, including two excellent ones against Brian Brobbey and Noah Sadiki. The Belgian also showed great courage by coming quickly off his line on a couple of occasions. Lammens even ended up preventing 2.05 goals, picking up his seventh clean sheet of the season in the process. Senne Lammens Stats vs Sunderland PlayerSenne Lammens Total Saves4 Goals Prevented2.05 Punches0 High Claims0 Touches39 Accurate Passes18/32 (56%) Key Passes0 Crosses (Accurate)0 Long Balls (Accurate)22 (8) PositionG NotesSaves from inside box: 4 Source: Sofa Score. United remain third Despite dropping points at the Stadium of Light, United remain third in the Premier League for now. The Red Devils are six points adrift of fourth-placed Liverpool, who could only manage a 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier on Saturday. While top-four rivals Aston Villa are yet to play this weekend, a victory against Nottingham Forest in a week’s time could secure third place for United. However, the result against Sunderland has laid bare several gaps in the squad that INEOS have to address over the summer. A new midfielder should rightly be at the top of United’s priority list, with the team lacking cover in the middle of the park. However, the goalkeeping department looks sorted at the moment, especially with Radek Vitek also performing very well on loan at Bristol City. Final Thoughts United will hope to have Casemiro and Sesko back when they host Forest at the Theatre of Dreams next weekend. That game is likely to be an emotional affair, as it will be the last time the Brazilian features for the Red Devils at Old Trafford. Senne Lammens prevented 2.05 goals vs. Sunderland, making 4 saves from shots taken inside the box. Man Utd’s best player. 🛑 pic.twitter.com/onUUD2pu6a — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) May 9, 2026 Featured image Stu Forster via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.