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.

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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)

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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)