Former Sunderland defender Danny Collins says Bruno Fernandes should have been booked for Manchester United

Former Sunderland defender Danny Collins has shared his view on the second-half incident involving Bertrand Traoré during the Black Cats’ 2–0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Posting on X, Collins gave his assessment of the controversial moment that saw Traoré booked for simulation after going down under pressure from Bruno Fernandes. “Opinion on this one from today: Keeper barely brushes Traoré with his shoulder – no foul.:

Collins added on social media following the game at Old Trafford: “Traoré plays the ball and is then clipped by Fernandes. Whether Traoré is getting to it before Dalot, we’ll never know? Free kick to S’land and a yellow for Bruno imo.”

The decision not to award a free kick – or to review the incident via VAR – drew anger from Sunderland fans and confusion among pundits, with replays appearing to show slight contact between Fernandes and Traoré. Collins, who made over 150 appearances for Sunderland, felt the officials got the call wrong and that the winger had been harshly treated.

What did Ruben Amorim say after the game?

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim praised his side’s composure and defensive discipline following their 2–0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday – describing the performance as a “step in the right direction” after a challenging start to the campaign.

First-half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Šeško secured all three points for United, who managed the game well after the break to claim a clean sheet against Régis Le Bris’ Sunderland. Amorim admitted his team weren’t at their best for the full 90 minutes but was encouraged by the focus and maturity shown throughout.

“A clean sheet is very important,” Amorim said. “We didn't play well through all of the game but we had our moments, but the main thing was our performance as a team. We were focused, defended well, trying to kill the game in the second half. I'm pleased with that and now we need to move forward. [Goalkeeper Senne Lammens] did well, he looked confident but the team helped him to do this because everyone was focused, not many mistakes, against a team that is really comfortable playing football. So we did well.”

The United boss also highlighted the impact of Amad Diallo’s return to the starting XI, describing it as “massive for his team” following the winger’s influential display. Amorim was asked if he felt any frustration that his side would not be able to build on the win due to the international break, but said his key focus was ensuring his team can show this solidity away from home as well as at Old Trafford.

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"The main frustration for me is not to see the same team at home and away," Amorim said. "You saw today, we didn't play well in the second half but we were focused, we fought for the second balls. The small things are going to help you win games. Sometimes you have your moments and in the first half we had a lot of these, but then the second half if we cannot play well [we will make sure] they will not play well, that is what the big teams do throughout a season."

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