Under intense scrutiny, Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim celebrated his 50th game in charge with a vital 2-0 home win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.
Mason Mount opened the scoring just eight minutes in, giving United an early edge, while Benjamin Sesko doubled the lead in the second half, sealing the victory.
Mount’s early strike marked United’s fastest Premier League goal since Marcus Rashford netted in the second minute against Ipswich during Amorim’s first match last November.
Sesko’s close-range finish was his second goal in consecutive games, and the clean sheet was a reward for Amorim’s decision to hand £18.1m goalkeeper Senne Lammens his debut.
Sunderland seemed set for a lifeline when awarded a penalty before halftime, but VAR intervened, ruling out the spot-kick after confirming Sesko did not make contact with Trai Hume’s face with a high boot.
Amid a tenure often defined by negative statistics, Amorim can finally reflect on some positives.
United recorded their third consecutive home win for the first time in over two years, extending their strong record against Sunderland, whom they have beaten 30 times in 31 meetings at Old Trafford.
The victory also saw United fans treat Amorim to a lively rendition of their “Ruben Amorim” chant, a rare moment of comfort for the Portuguese coach amid questions over his long-term future at the club.
