Manchester United vs Sunderland preview, odds, team news and lineups

United have won three of the last five meetings but are struggling this season with just 7 points from 6 games, while Sunderland are unbeaten in their last five matches.

Stuart Attwell will referee this intriguing contest between two teams on contrasting trajectories.

Manchester United will welcome Sunderland to Old Trafford for their Premier League Round 7 clash on October 4, 2025, with kickoff scheduled for 15:00.

Stuart Attwell has been appointed as the referee for this encounter between two teams experiencing contrasting fortunes in the early stages of the 2025/2026 season.

The Red Devils, currently sitting 14th in the table with 7 points, will be looking to bounce back from their recent defeat, while Sunderland, impressively positioned 5th with 11 points, aim to continue their strong start to the campaign.

Manchester United have historically dominated this fixture, winning three of the last five meetings against Sunderland. Their most recent encounter came on April 9, 2017, when United secured a comfortable 3-0 victory at the Stadium of Light with goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Mkhitaryan, and Marcus Rashford.

Prior to that, United won 3-1 at Old Trafford in December 2016, though Sunderland did manage a 2-1 home victory in February 2016. The Red Devils have been particularly strong at Old Trafford against the Black Cats, winning their last three home matches against them.

Manchester United have endured a mixed start to their Premier League campaign, collecting just 7 points from their opening 6 matches. They come into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 3:1 defeat to Brentford on September 27, 2025.

Prior to that, they secured a morale-boosting 2:1 victory over Chelsea on September 20, 2025, but suffered a heavy 3:0 loss in the Manchester derby against City on September 14, 2025.

The Red Devils did manage a 3:2 win against Burnley on August 30, 2025, and drew 2:2 with Grimsby in the EFL Cup on August 27, 2025. Sunderland, meanwhile, have impressed with 11 points from their first 6 matches.

They secured a valuable 0:1 away win at Nottingham Forest on September 27, 2025, followed by consecutive draws – 1:1 against Aston Villa on September 21, 2025, and 0:0 at Crystal Palace on September 13, 2025.

The Black Cats also defeated Brentford 2:1 on August 30, 2025, before drawing 1:1 with Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup on August 26, 2025. Currently sitting 5th in the table, Sunderland will be confident heading into this fixture against a struggling United side.