It seems like Manchester United is playing in the league for the sake of small teams. As again Sunderland who is battling for their survival defeated Manchester United easily.

Sunderland took the lead early as Wahbi Khazri scored in the very third minute of the match, but later it was equalized by Anthony Martial in 39th minute of the first half. It was his 10th goal of the season. But later it was the same story of United as they got defeated again by a small team, but there was a twist that the opponent team didn’t had to bother to score a goal as David De Gea did the honors himself.

United are far from winning the league this time, as Leister City and Manchester City are in great form.

Sam Allardyce gave Dame N'Doye his first begin and Khazri his home introduction taking after their landings in January, and the last made the ideal begin as United were contracted bug on three minutes.

Khazri's low, in-swinging free-kick from the left crucially evaded Jermain Defoe and the United defence before it nestled in the far corner of the unsighted de Gea's goal.

Falling behind seemed to kicked United into gear but they struggled to break down a resolute Black Cats defence, with Wayne Rooney denied the chance to respond by Kone immediately after.

Sunderland could, and likely ought to, have been two up in 10 minutes as Lee Cattermole constrained the ball into Defoe yet the striker miscued his exertion from short proximity.

Within two minutes the hosts had to reshuffle their defensive set up as Jan Kirchhoff was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury, but they continued to keep United at bay.

It took United 31 minutes to register an attempt on the Sunderland goal and, when it did arrive, Juan Mata's well-struck effort went straight down Vito Mannone's throat.

United's defensive injury crisis then deepened as Matteo Darmian was then forced off with a shoulder injury, with 21-year-old Donald Love replacing the right-back.

Undeterred, United pushed forward and were soon level. Having denied Mata earlier, Mannone made a meal of the Spaniard's second attempt, pawing it into the path of Martial who chipped the ball home from an acute angle six minutes before the interval.

Sunderland started the second half in similar fashion to which they had the first and had strong penalty claims denied on 48 minutes, with referee Andre Marriner ruling Rooney not to have deliberately handled John O'Shea's flick-on in the box.

The Black Cats then laid siege on the United goal but Defoe failed to turn Patrick van Aanholt's cross home at the near post as Daley Blind cleared.

Shortly after the hour-mark, De Gea stuck a leg out to deflect N'Doye's goal-bound effort away before leaping to his left to deny Khazri's free-kick.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson then supplied substitute Memphis Depay with United's best chance ten minutes from time, but Mannone saved the Dutchman's curling strike.

And the visitors were made to pay just two minutes later. Kone rose highest to meet Khazri's corner and his header forced De Gea to inadvertently fumble the ball over the line, handing the Black Cats their first home league win over United since 1997.

United are on the fifth place at the moment as Van Gaal is consistently failing to prove his worth at the club, while on the other hand Pep is all set to make his impact in the premier league.