Chris Wilder’s men produced another magnificent performance as they fought to the very end to steal a point against Manchester United.
Leading up to this fixture, it wasn’t a guaranteed classic – but this game had it all.
The fast half belonged to Sheffield, who completely dominated, whether it was possession, chances created or just determination: the Blades were far superior in all departments. The first goal of the game came as no surprise. David de Gea had already produced two fine saves to keep out John Lundstram and David McGoldrick, so when Fleck bundled home a rebound, it sent Bramall Lane into a frenzy.
In the opening minutes of the second half things only got worse for Solskjaer’s side. Mousset, who had been so influential in the first half, beat De Gea with an inch-perfect shot from outside the penalty area to double the hosts lead. Wilder’s side were cruising and looked set for their first league win over United since 1992.
The next pulsating seven minutes saw Manchester United produce some remarkable football which turned the game on its head.
Brandon Williams sparked the revival with a well taken half volley from inside the edge of the penalty area. Only minutes later, substitute Mason Greenwood levelled the score following a wonderful United move down the right. And things then went from bad to worse for Sheffield as the Red Devils sliced them apart and Marcus Rashford finished into an empty net to complete what seemed to be a truly spectacular seven-minute comeback.
But all was not over. A resilient Sheffield United refused to roll over that easily and salvaged a 90th-minute equaliser, courtesy of McBurnie who completed the six-goal thriller and sent the hosts into sixth place.
Solskjaer’s struggles continue at United
Things are certainly starting to hot up Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as many fans believe he is on borrowed time. It’s no secret that United have been far below their standards this season, and coming into the game it was up to Solskjaer to try and change things. However, the Norwegian manager implemented a 3-5-2 formation with two attacking wing-backs. The half time score shows exactly how successful this was.
More so, Phil Jones who Solskjaer had brought into the XI and put faith in, was largely to blame for the first goal. Mousset gave chase on Jones, easily muscling the former international of the ball and created the chance for the goal. Not only were his side 2-0 down at half time, but his tactical intervention had also failed and Solskjaer had to revert back to the usual formation by substituting the clueless Jones.
Despite a fantastic late 20 minutes of football, this performance by Manchester United will only increase the pressure on Solskjaer, especially with the recent departure of former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Brilliant Blades battled to the end
Wilder’s men were excellent again today and displayed exactly why they are here to stay. The first 45 minutes marked one of the best first-half performances from the Blades this season. They were far superior to United in every way, and restricted them to just one shot on target during a dominant first-half showing – Anthony Martial tested goalkeeper Simon Moore after 29 minutes, who was making his first Premier League start.
To put this into perspective, United’s next shot came in the 72nd minute which then opened the floodgates for the next two. Restricting such an attacking based Manchester United side for so long reiterates just how defensively sturdy the Blades can be and shows why their defence is their best asset this season.
United can be dangerous when they want to be
Whether it was the change of formation or just a shift in momentum, when Williams scored the first goal, United became a completely new team. Suddenly, a lacklustre side were sparked into action and created two fine goals in seven minutes.
Rashford was the architect for the second, following some one-touch passing he sent a teasing pinpointed cross for Greenwood to volley home. The third came in quick succession, with United working the ball well at the back before unleashing James down the left who cut it back for Rashford, who got himself on the score sheet.
It seems that maybe the issue is a lack of belief or leadership on the pitch as soon as Williams scored, United looked like a team to fear, and if they started the game like that, it could have been a completely different story.
Sheffield United and European football?
The Blades have been soaring high in the league and are now notably above Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal in sixth place. The idea of European football hasn’t really been mentioned, but with the Blades putting in inspired performances every week, they are heading in the right direction.
The main question is, is it something that Sheffield want? Of course, it’ll be a remarkable achievement for a newly promoted side to gain access to European football ahead the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal, but it could damage their chances of survival next season.
A similar situation happened in the 2018/19 season when Burnley lost a series of international qualifiers in the build-up to the Europa League. This then disrupted their season and they went from finishing in seventh place to finishing in 15th, six points from relegation.
But for now, the Blades are flying high after yet another exceptional display in the 2019/20 campaign.
