Manchester United picked up their first point of the new Premier League season on Sunday with a 1-1 draw away to Sunderland.

The visitors took the lead on 16 minutes when Juan Mata arrived in the box to tap in Antonio Valencia's cross.

However, Sunderland secured a share of the spoils with half an hour played as Jack Rodwell headed in Sebastian Larsson's corner.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the individual performances of the players at the Stadium of Light.

SUNDERLAND

Goal

Vito Mannone Sunderland's shotstopper did not have an awful lot to do, but he provided his team with a reliable presence between the sticks. (7/10)

Defence

Santiago Vergini: Occasionally struggled with containing United down the right, though he was composed for the majority of the match. (7/10)

John O'Shea: The veteran defender was impressive against his former employers, giving the Black Cats plenty of security at the back. (8/10)

Wes Brown: Working well alongside O'Shea at the heart of the defence, Brown rarely afforded the United attackers any space. (8/10)

Patrick van Aanholt: Often found life difficult tracking Valencia down the right wing, but the United winger's crossing was so poor that it did not cost his side. (7/10)

Midfield

Sebastian Larsson: The Swede's corners and free kicks were valuable for the hosts. However, his lack of involvement in more central areas needs addressing. (7/10)

Jack Rodwell: His goal should give him plenty of confidence as he embarks on a career with the Black Cats. Apart from that major contribution, Rodwell looked assured in the centre of the park. (7/10)

Lee Cattermole: Sunderland's engine room. The midfielder ran tirelessly throughout, providing his team with a good link between defence and attack. (9/10)

Will Buckley: A largely underwhelming full debut for the summer signing from Brighton & Hove Albion. That said, Buckley put in a solid shift. (6/10)

Attack

Steven Fletcher: Worked hard for Sunderland in attack on a day which saw him have limited service for the most part. (7/10)

Connor Wickham: A disappointing afternoon for the youngster. Is his head elsewhere? We will probably find out in the next few days before the transfer window shuts. (6/10)

Substitutes

Jordi Gomez: The summer signing was largely ineffective when he came off the bench in the second half. (6/10)

Jozy Altidore: The burly forward caused the United defence a few problems when he was introduced, but he still looks some way off full fitness. (7/10)

Liam Bridcutt: Struggled to get into the game when he was introduced with 10 minutes left to play. (6/10)

MAN UTD

Goal

David de Gea: The Spaniard did not have much to deal with in terms of shots on target. As for Sunderland's goal, there was little that he could have done about it. (7/10)

Defence

Chris Smalling: Picked up a hamstring strain early on, which hampered his performance until he was brought off shortly before half time. (7/10)

Phil Jones: One of United's best players on the day. Strong in the tackle and well organised in his defensive duties. Impressive throughout. (8/10)

Tyler Blackett: Yet again the youngster showed that he has a bright future ahead of him thanks to a mature display. (7/10)

Midfield

Ashley Young: The winger capped a poor performance by getting booked for diving. It is hard to see how he still gets near the United squad. (6/10)

Tom Cleverley: You get the feeling that his confidence was low coming into the match, but Cleverley did himself no favours with a limp showing in the centre of midfield. (6/10)

Juan Mata: Saw plenty of the ball in his trademark position behind the strikers, but he lacked ideas by the end of the contest. (7/10)

Darren Fletcher: Picked up the bits and pieces when the match got scrappy, though his overall contribution was a limited one. (6/10)

Antonio Valencia: You simply cannot fault the man's energy. That said, he desperately needs to learn how to cross a ball to a teammate. (7/10)

Attack

Wayne Rooney: Failed to get into the match, despite his best efforts. A paucity of service from midfield saw him stifled. (7/10)

Robin van Persie: His mere presence had the Sunderland defenders worried, but the Dutch striker did little during his hour on the pitch. (6/10)

Substitutes

Michael Keane: Coming off the bench for his Premier League debut, the youngster fitted in well to United's defence. (7/10)

Adnan Januzaj: The Belgian international gave the visitors a lift when he was introduced with half an hour to play. (7/10)

Danny Welbeck: Similar to Januzaj, Welbeck offered his side something a little bit different when he came on. (7/10)