Memphis Depay has struck in the fourth minute of injury time at the end of the first half to give Manchester United a 1-0 lead over Sunderland in the Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Manchester United came into the match knowing that a win would take them to the top of the table above neighbours Manchester City, who lost 4-1 at Tottenham Hotspur earlier on Saturday.
Unsurprisingly, they dominated the early pressure as Sunderland looked to sit back with 10 men behind the ball, but Juan Mata's deflected shot from range was the only chance of note inside the first quarter of an hour.
© Getty Images
The game began to open up as the half wore on and both goalkeepers were finally forced into action, first when Jeremain Lens saw his effort blocked by David de Gea before Costel Pantilimon turned Depay's shot from the edge of the box over the crossbar.
Sunderland continued to work to stop United creating chances to take a lead into the interval, but their resistance was broken seconds before the whistle.
Daley Blind's lofted ball over the top was knocked across goal by Juan Mata and Depay was on hand to tap home his fourth goal of the season to give Louis van Gaal's side a barely-deserved advantage at the break.
Tom Nightingale
