Joshua Zirkzee: Man United striker puts in anemic showing versus Sunderland

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·10 Mei 2026

Joshua Zirkzee: Man United striker puts in anemic showing versus Sunderland

Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee struggled once again in the Premier League.

Struggles

Since signing for Manchester United in July 2024, Zirkzee has barely made an impact at Old Trafford.

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The 24-year-old has only scored a paltry nine goals in 73 appearances for the Red Devils.

His statistics this season do not make for pleasant reading, as he has only managed two goals in 24 games.

Performance

The Dutchman was given a rare chance to start with Benjamin Sesko out of the squad due to a shin problem.

Sadly, he could not make any sort of impact on the game, as he often cut an isolated figure in the Manchester United attack.

He played 65 minutes of the match before being substituted for Patrick Dorgu.

Zirkzee had one shot on goal in the first half when he headed over Matheus Cunha’s cross, but the chance was always drifting over the bar.

He could not manage a shot on target in the match and was unable to complete any dribble attempts.

The striker did carry the ball forward three times but did not complete any key passes in the match.

In fact, he could only complete 11 passes in an anemic afternoon.

Zirkzee was also weak in his duels, winning just four out of 11, and was also unable to compete in any tackles as he was frequently bullied by the Sunderland defence.

Future

In his post-match press conference, Carrick defended his striker, but it was objectively a missed opportunity for Zirkzee to show his worth.

The former Bologna forward has been linked with a summer exit from Old Trafford and, on this performance, it is hard to argue that this would not be the best course of action for everyone involved.