Sunderland didn't disgrace themselves at Old Trafford tonight, but they still found themselves on the wrong end of the score, as Louis Saha's second half header was the difference between the sides in a keenly fought encounter.

Sunderland handed debuts to Danny Higginbotham and Kenwyne Jones as we appeared to line up in a 4-5-1 formation. Young defender Michael Kay was on the bench as Keane included fellow former United players Paul McShane and Dwight Yorke alongside Higginbotham in his starting XI. Sir Alex Ferguson named Louis Saha on their subs bench, as summer signing Anderson made his debut in midfield.

Nani came close to scoring in the fourth minute with the game's first real chance, as a passing move from United saw the Portuguese midfielder put a weak shot on goal that only just rolled wide of Craig Gordon's goal. Dickson Etuhu produced our first chance, after he won the ball in midfield, before his rush forward into the box ended with the former Manchester City man scuffing the ball wide on six minutes.

United enjoyed long bouts of possession, but they couldn't do much with the ball, as our back line defended resolutely and even created a chance or two, with Jones firing well wide on 18 minutes following a cross from McShane. At the other end, Higginbotham had to block an effort from Nani on 21 minutes, and the hosts had to wait until just after the half hour mark for their next effort, when Carlos Tevez fired the ball straight at Gordon after Dwight Yorke was dispossessed in midfield. A shot from Owen Hargreaves was charged down by Nosworthy on 38 minutes, shortly after Grant Leadbitter had been booked for an earlier foul on Nani.

Paul Scholes almost gave United the lead in the final minute of the first half, when Nani squared the ball to him from a free kick, only for Scholes to drill a low shot just wide of Gordon's goal after the ball made its way through a forest of Sunderland defenders, as we made it through the first half with the score locked at 0-0.

United brought off Anderson at half time following a largely anonymous debut, replacing him with the fit-again Louis Saha, and inside the first five minutes we had to deny two United efforts, with Saha and Tevez firing straight at Gordon, although Saha's shot wouldn't have counted anyway as the French striker was flagged offside. Gordon was called into action again on 56 minutes, having to quickly get down low to his right to deny a turn and shot from Saha around the post, before Nemanja Vidic blazed a shot over the bar from the resulting corner.

Ross Wallace tested Edwin van der Sar with a free kick on the hour mark, but the Dutchman easily got the ball before hurling it out upfield towards Carlos Tevez, who was unable to keep the ball in play as United tried to launch a counter-attack. Nani tried a curling effort from outside the box several minutes later, but Gordon got down low to stop the ball. Nyron Nosworthy tackled the ball back in midfield before giving it to Grant Leadbitter, but the midfielder's attempt at a long shot went awry as he sent his effort well wide of van der Sar's goal.

United took the lead on 71 minutes from a Nani corner when Louis Saha found himself unmarked, and got himself in front of Craig Gordon to head the ball into an empty net after we'd defended so resolutely for so long. A minute later, we had a penalty claim turned down after there was some pushing in the box following a Ross Wallace free kick. Nani then fired a low shot on goal on 77 minutes after shaking off the attention of four Sunderland players, but Gordon was again up to saving the effort.

Owen Hargreaves blazed an effort just off target as he aimed for the top corner on 79 minutes with a shot that would have just gone beyond Gordon's reach had it been a foot or so lower. Daryl Murphy swung and missed a shot on 81 minutes as we tried for an equaliser. Darren Fletcher missed a great effort to make it 2-0 in the last minute of normal time, after Craig Gordon parried the ball away, only for our eventual clearance to fall to Fletcher, who fired the ball over the bar. That came just seconds after we survived a penalty shout following Danny Collins' handball in the box.

In the end though, Saha's header was enough as our brave fight against the champions proved to be in vain.

Sunderland: Gordon, Nosworthy, McShane, Higginbotham, Collins, Leadbitter, Yorke, Etuhu (sub 82, Miller), Wallace (sub 82, Stokes), Jones (sub 69, Murphy), Chopra. Subs: Ward, Kay.

Manchester United: van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Eagles (sub 66, Fletcher), Hargreaves, Scholes, Nani (sub 84, O'Shea), Anderson (sub 46, Saha), Tevez. Subs: Kuszczak, Carrick.