- Chris Sutton predicts Sunderland vs Man United
- Hints that Black Cats have little to play for
- Still expects strong performance
Chris Sutton is expecting Sunderland to do well against Manchester United, even though their motivation levels might be fairly low.
Sunderland’s season was looking highly promising a couple of weeks ago, as finishing in a European spot felt like a real possibility.
However, a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Nottingham Forest destroyed these hopes, with the Black Cats well and truly torn apart.
Last weekend, Sunderland once again failed to secure a victory. They took an early lead against Wolves, but Dan Ballard’s red card had them on the backfoot for much of the game.
This has left Regis Le Bris’ team in 12th place, four points off the top seven with only three Premier League matches remaining.
Chris Sutton predicts Sunderland to draw with Manchester United
It is probably too late for Sunderland to make one final push for European football next season, but Chris Sutton can still see them getting a result this weekend.
The ex-Premier League striker thinks the club’s players may already have their minds on their pre-season holidays, but he is still backing them to earn a point on Saturday.
“In terms of this game, going to Sunderland is still a tough game [for Man United] – even though the Black Cats were walloped 5-0 by Nottingham Forest last time out at Stadium of Light,” Sutton told BBC Sport.
“I keep backing Sunderland and keep being wrong about them. Their minds may be on the beach a bit, but I can see them getting a point here.”
Sutton’s prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United
Man United are in good form
Last Sunday saw the Red Devils battle hard to earn a victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford. It was their third successive win in the Premier League.
United’s most recent away result was a 1-0 victory against Chelsea, and they are statistically the fifth best performing team on the road.
Still, Newcastle defeated Man United in March with 10 men, just weeks before Sunderland got the better of their local rivals.
Therefore, while a visit from Michael Carrick’s side will be far from easy, getting a point or even a victory is not impossible.
Sunderland must rediscover their form
Not so long ago, Sunderland were on a decent run. They beat Newcastle away from home and saw off Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light.
There were positives to take from a narrow 4-3 defeat against Aston Villa, but then came the humiliating 5-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Sunderland were unable to properly bounce back last Saturday, but it was never going to be easy with 10 men.
It is important that the Black Cats regain their rhythm this time around as regardless of European football, it would be nice to finish above 13th place Newcastle.
