Manchester United Gets Closer To The Premier League Title

The luckless defender unwittingly turned Robin van Persie's 27th-minute shot past keeper Simon Mignolet after it had also clipped Phil Bardsley on its way to goal.

It proved enough to hand United a seventh successive league victory on a day when they were far superior to their relegation-threatened hosts for long periods, but were unable to make their superiority tell.

The Black Cats were barely in the game before the break, but buoyed by United's failure to build upon their lead, rallied after it without ever testing keeper David de Gea as they extended their run without a league win to eight games in front of a crowd of 43,760.

United probably should have killed the game off long before the final whistle, but they did enough to extend their lead at the top of the table, for a few hours at least, to 18 points, the perfect preparation for Monday night's FA Cup quarter-final replay at Chelsea.

It was Nelson Mandela Day at the Stadium of Light with the club celebrating its recent collaboration with the former South Africa president's foundation at a time when the 94-year-old is battling a lung infection in hospital.

The omens for a Sunderland change of fortune were hardly promising - the had beaten United only once in 23 previous Premier League encounters - and they proved depressingly accurate before the break.

Sir Alex Ferguson did not even include Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney in his 18 with Monday's trip to Stamford Bridge looming large, but his side eased their way through the first half without ever having to find top gear.

There were 12 minutes gone when full-back Alex Buttner embarked upon a determined run which took him past both Craig Gardner and Bardsley and deep into the penalty area, where Mignolet managed to block his close-range effort.

The Belgian had to be equally alert three minutes later as the Dutchman threatened to get on the end of a through-ball, and he then had to claw an Ashley Young cross out of his top corner as the visitors found their rhythm.

However, even he could do nothing about the chain of events which led to the opening goal with 27 minutes gone.

Van Persie picked up possession on the left side of the penalty area, but found himself confronted by Bardsley.

The striker patiently worked himself into a position to shoot, but when he unleashed his drive, it flew off Bardsley's boot on to Bramble's knee and inside the far post.

It was a devastating blow for the Black Cats, who had earlier seen appeals for a penalty for Rafael da Silva's challenge on Gardner waved away, and they visibly wilted as they sensed the game slipping away from them.