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Man United have pulled off some impressive victories under Michael Carrick already, as he has beaten Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and now Liverpool. Man United raced to a 2-0 lead against their rivals last weekend, getting off to an ideal start, but Liverpool hit back early in the second period to level the scores. Despite the momentum swing, it was Man United who had the last laugh, as Kobbie Mainoo fired in from the edge of the box to earn his side all three points. That was a massive result for the Red Devils, who have now won each of their last three matches, and they will want to extend their impressive form against Sunderland here. 

The Black Cats have struggled recently, and they were lucky to hold on to a 1-1 draw against basement-dwellers Wolves last time out.

A straight red card for Dan Ballard in the 24th minute for pulling the hair of Tolu Arokodare didn’t do Sunderland any favours, but Robin Roefs made six crucial saves to at least earn his side a point. They had to really dig in at times, so would have taken a point in the end. Prior to that, Sunderland suffered a heavy 5-0 loss against Nottingham Forest, and a 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa. Sunderland have seen a total of ten cards in those three games - nine yellows and a red, highlighting what has been a frustrating patch of form for them. 

Despite having their Champions League spot secured, Man United are unlikely to change their approach for the final few games of the season, and they have seen plenty of cards in recent weeks. In fact, this selection has landed in each of their last nine successive league matches.

Matheus Cunha made a massive impact against Liverpool, as he scored the opening goal on his first game back from injury. The Brazilian international had complained of a hip issue which forced him out of the game prior, but he looked back to his best in the derby, and Carrick was keen to get him involved from the start. Cunha has been impressive in his first season at Man United, with nine goals and two assists from his 31 Premier League appearances. He is averaging 3.09 shots per 90, which is one of the highest figures in the squad, which shows how he doesn’t lack confidence.

The 26-year-old has landed this selection in each of his last seven successive starts for Man United on the left wing, and he has even found the back of the net in three of those games. He tends to be efficient with his chances, which bodes well for this selection.

Bruno Fernandes failed to register a goal or assist against Liverpool last time out, but he was desperately unlucky not to - Fernandes created two big chances that weren't converted, and he was also denied by a sharp save from Freddie Woodman late on. 

That match ended a seven-game streak during which the Portuguese international had landed this selection with either a goal or assist, highlighting how strong his recent form has been. His current tally stands at eight goals and 19 assists from 32 matches in the league, and he has reached top form under Michael Carrick. The most assists ever recorded in a single Premier League season is 20 - a record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry, so Fernandes will be motivated to match or even beat that tally before the end of the season. This matchup against a struggling Sunderland side looks like the perfect opportunity for him. 

Sat comfortably in mid table, Sunderland’s recent matches have been full of shots and captain Granit Xhaka has been getting involved with nine attempts in his last six games, landing this bet in all of those. The Black Cats midfielder loves a shot from range, and with the focus on attack for Regis Le Bris with their safety secured, he should get plenty of chances to try his luck. 

For all their success under Michael Carrick, Man Utd have been far from solid on their travels under their interim boss, conceding 15.29 shots per game. Their last two away games at Chelsea and Bournemouth have seen their opponents combine for 37 attempts at goal, and so a Sunderland side playing with freedom should give them an entertaining battle.

Noah Sadiki is one of the most underrated midfielders in the Premier League, I’m very sure that he’ll earn a move to one of the bigger clubs in the Premier League or Europe in the next few seasons. He’s perfectly suited for the Premier League, and has similar traits to players like N'Golo Kante and Moises Caicedo - winning challenges that make you go, how on earth did he win the ball?

His role naturally leads to a decent fouls record, which should come to the fore here against a United side who should be full of confidence after completing a league double over Liverpool for the first time in over five years. Sadiki has committed 29 fouls across his 30 starts in the Premier League this season, working out to an average of 0.99 fouls committed per 90. 

His main opponents here are likely to be Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro, who combine to win 2.43 fouls per 90 in the Premier League this season. Sadiki committed three fouls and was shown a yellow card when the sides met earlier in the season, with United winning 2-0 in that clash.