Manchester United vs. Sunderland: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match

Manchester United ran its Premier League winning streak to four following Monday’s 3-1 victory over Sunderland.  

After Paul Pogba missed out on a few open scoring chances early in the first half, Daley Blind got the Red Devils on the board in the 39th minute by putting the ball past Jordan Pickford in the right corner of the net. 

NBC Sports Soccer offered the highlight of Blind’s goal, which was helped out by an assist from Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

Hey, did you know Zlatan can pass too? Daley Blind found that out. #MUFC #PLonNBC pic.twitter.com/QAsQ7esjDw

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 26, 2016

Blind’s goal capped off an excellent first half for the 26-year-old in which he was an active force on both sides of the ball, per Squawka Football:

Daley Blind’s first half by numbers vs. Sunderland:93% pass accuracy6 clearances3 crosses3 blocks1 goalExcellent display 👏 pic.twitter.com/UackeOW4Oa

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 26, 2016

This was one of Blind’s most complete performances of the season. He hadn’t scored a goal in the previous 12 matches, only attempting three shots during that span, and his two assists came way back on September 24 against Leicester.

Playing primarily as a defender doesn’t afford Blind a lot of chances to impact things on offense, but he found a way to take advantage on Boxing Day. 

Ibrahimovic also got off the schneid with his assist. It’s the first assist for the star striker since November against Feyenoord in a Europa League matchup and first in his last 21 league games, per OptaJoe.

That wouldn’t be Ibrahimovic’s only moment of the match. He went back to doing what does best, scoring his 12th goal of the season in the 82nd minute. 

Samuel …

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