A much-changed Manchester United side were held to a goalless draw by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, in a game the hosts will feel they should have won after an afternoon of wastefulness in front of goal.

Michael Carrick made no fewer than five changes to his starting lineup, with Casemiro, Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo and Matthijs de Ligt all absent. Lisandro Martinez returned from suspension to replace Ayden Heaven at the back, Noussair Mazraoui came in for Diogo Dalot, and Joshua Zirkzee was handed a rare start up front. Sunderland, by contrast, made just one change Lutsharel Geertruida stepping in for the suspended Dan Ballard.

Sunderland dominated large portions of the contest, enjoying 52 percent of the ball and registering 13 shots in total, though five of those were blocked before they could trouble the goalkeeper. They managed just two shots on target all afternoon, a return that proved nowhere near enough to break down a United side that, for all their limitations on the day, showed enough resilience to keep a clean sheet.

United were far from convincing themselves. They had 10 shots but only two troubled Robin Roefs in the Sunderland goal. The visitors were also ill-disciplined, collecting three yellow cards two of them arriving within four minutes of each other midway through the second half. Zirkzee cut a frustrating figure throughout and was eventually withdrawn, with Patrick Dorgu coming on to replace him. BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Paul Robinson was scathing in his assessment, saying the Dutchman had “offered absolutely nothing” and criticising his lack of movement and industry across the ninety minutes.

Granit Xhaka pulled the strings for Sunderland in the middle of the park and will be among the most frustrated at full time, given how much his side controlled proceedings without converting that dominance into anything meaningful. Brian Brobbey was lively up front but lacked the clinical edge to punish United, while Noah Sadiki spurned one of the clearest chances of the game when he found himself one on one with goalkeeper Senne Lammens, only to be denied.

For United, the point unconvincing as it was at least preserves their unbeaten run heading into a final stretch that includes a home fixture against Nottingham Forest next Sunday.