Sunderland 0 Manchester United 3: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford score as Black Cats have Seb Larsson controversially sent off

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored as Manchester United swept bottom club Sunderland aside 3-0 - as Seb Larsson was controversially sent off.

United had most of the possession but were rather indifferent in front of goal - that was until the half-hour mark when Ibrahimovic got in on the act yet again.

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Holding up the ball, the big Swede scored his 28th goal in all competitions this season, holding the ball up expertly before firing a low curling effort beyond Jordan Pickford from 20 yards out.

Victor Anichebe, back from injury, should have equalised for the Black Cats 10 minutes later from close range on the turn - but stand-in keeper Sergio Romero made a smart save.

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Things went from bad to worse just before half-time for bottom side Sunderland as Seb Larsson got a contentious red card for what ref Craig Pawson deemed to be an over-the-top challenge.

The second half got off to the worst possible start for Sunderland, when Mkhitaryan danced through the defence to score in the opening minute to make it 2-0.

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United then found life easier and easier as the game went on and 10-man Sunderland failed to trouble Romero, with the points all but secure.

And just before full-time Marcus Rashford put the gloss on a good away performance with a low strike when played through by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

United, who move above Arsenal, are four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with one game in hand over their neighbours, and two in hand over Liverpool six points ahead.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS

• Manchester United made five changes to the side that drew with Everton in midweek, with Antonio Valencia and David de Gea missing from the squad.
• Jose Mourinho claimed his No1 keeper has a “little problem” which is why Sergio Romero took his place. Romero will also likely play in the Europa League on Thursday.

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• Luke Shaw, who came in for fresh criticism from Mourinho in midweek, was making his first United start since the home draw with Bournemouth on March 4.
• Victor Anichebe was starting his first Sunderland match since New Year’s Eve. He has been out with hamstring and knee injuries.
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 28^th goal of the season with a fine turn and finish after 30 minutes.

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• Seb Larsson was shown a straight red for a high tackle on Ander Herrera two minutes before half-time. Gary Lineker tweeted: “Never a red card for Larsson in a million years.”
• Jordan Pickford will surely not be at Sunderland next season. He impressed again in this defeat, making smart saves from Jesse Lingard and Ibrahimovic.

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• The Black Cats have not scored in over 11 hours of football – and in only one of their last 11 games.
• Sunderland remain ten points adrift of safety with just seven games to go - it's looking ever-bleaker.
• United move above Arsenal into fifth. They are four points behind fourth-placed Man City and have a game in hand and Marcus Rashford's first goal since September put a gloss on it.

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BIG PICTURE

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SOCIAL SAYS

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

Sunderland: Pickford 6; Jones 6, Denayer 6, Kone 6, Oviedo  6(Manquillo 6); Larsson 5, Rodwell 6, Cattermole 6 (Borini 6), N’Dong 7; Anichebe 6, Defoe 6

Subs not used: Mannone, Djilobodji, Pienaar, Khazri, Gibson

Yellow cards: Ndong

Red cards: Larsson (43)

Manchester United: Romero 7; Darmian 8, Bailly 7, Rojo 7, Shaw 7 (Blind 6); Fellaini 7, Herrera 7, Pogba 7; Lingard 6 (Rashford 7), Ibrahimovic 8, Mkhitaryan 7 (Martial)

Subs not used: Pereira, Tuanzebe, Fosu-Mensah, Carrick

Yellow cards: Darmian, Shaw, Fellaini, Martial, Lingard

Goals: Ibrahimovic (30), Mkhitaryan (46), Rashford (89)

STAR MAN: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (8)

WHAT THEY SAID

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho talking to Sky Sports:  "The result was good. We resisted the results of yesterday when Manchester City and Liverpool won, they left us in a position of 'yes' or 'no'. It was 'yes'.

"We got three points and it was a solid display. It was against a team that is sad, it's normal. Against a team that is sad, if you score before then it's difficult for them to react.

"You could feel the negative feeling around the team. That is felt with a team close to relegation."