Old Trafford exhales: Mount and Sesko deliver, Lammens debuts, and Amorim’s 50th is a clean-sheet tonic

Under driving rain and scrutiny, Manchester United produced a rare stress-free afternoon, beating Sunderland 2-0 to mark Ruben Amorim’s 50th game with substance and composure. Mason Mount’s eighth-minute finish soothed nerves and Benjamin Sesko’s close-range instinct doubled the lead before half-time; from there United managed the weather and the game.

A first clean sheet of the season arrived alongside a third straight home win, and a debut for Senne Lammens that drew warm applause. Even a brief jolt—Stuart Attwell’s penalty award for a high boot on Trai Hume—was corrected by VAR, fitting a day when United’s decisions and execution aligned.

Mount strikes first and United breathe again

Amorim’s faith in Mount was rewarded. Preferred to Matheus Cunha, the midfielder timed his run perfectly to meet Bryan Mbeumo’s deft chip, cushioning the ball before sliding a measured finish into the corner for his first Premier League goal at Old Trafford in United colours. It was the club’s quickest league strike since Marcus Rashford’s second-minute effort at Ipswich in Amorim’s first game last November, and it calmed the stadium.

Freed by the early lead, United’s right side purred. Amad Diallo and Mbeumo repeatedly combined to isolate their markers, each drawing sharp saves from Robin Roefs. Mount then did the dirty work that so endears him to Amorim, often dropping alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro to secure midfield second balls and keep the visitors pinned.

Right-side rhythm and a poacher’s payoff

The second goal was trademark penalty-box sharpness from Sesko. Diogo Dalot’s long throw caused chaos, a Sunderland touch flicked the ball on, and the striker pounced from point-blank range. It made it two in two for Sesko and his first Old Trafford league strike—“the moment I’ve dreamed about,” he said as he soaked up the Stretford End’s roar.

Just before the break came the only wobble. Attwell pointed to the spot, judging Sesko’s attempted clearance had caught Hume high. The check showed no contact, the decision was reversed, and United went down the tunnel still in command.

A debut in the rain: Lammens calms the back line

Given the gloves after his late-window move from Royal Antwerp, Lammens looked assured. In a tidy pre-interval sequence, he dropped low to his left to push away a skidding long-range effort and then climbed to pluck a high ball cleanly. Late on he blocked Chemsdine Talbi’s drive with his legs and twice claimed deliveries to appreciative cheers, including in stoppage time.

There was one rash sprint from his area that saw Bertrand Traoré go down between Lammens and Fernandes, but the forward was booked for simulation. Beyond that, the 23-year-old’s handling and kicking with either foot were steady, the kind of dependable presence United have craved—and it delivered the first clean sheet of the campaign.

Controlled finish and a milestone worth singing about

Sunderland reshaped around the 37-minute mark—Simon Adingra off, Dan Ballard on, the back line stiffened—and the second half became about control rather than spectacle. United were happy to manage territory in the downpour while Roefs’ excellence, not least a fingertip redirect of a Fernandes curler onto the post, kept the scoreline in check.

The landmarks mattered. This was a third consecutive home victory for the first time in over two years, Amorim became the first United boss since Sir Alex Ferguson to win his 50th game, and Old Trafford answered with a full-throated Amorim chant. The head-to-head dominance continued too: just one Sunderland win here in 31.

Eyes on Liverpool, belief intact

United’s rise to eighth trims the gap to sixth-placed Sunderland to a single point. The international break interrupts a rhythm that has finally taken hold at home, and the next assignment—a trip to Liverpool—will test every element Amorim has been defending about his system and personnel.

Back-to-back league wins under Amorim remain elusive, but the platform is stronger: an early goal, a ruthless set piece, a calm debut in goal, and control when it mattered. In the wind and rain, United found clarity.