Despite delivering another performance filled with positives at Bramall Lane against Manchester United, Sheffield United continues its search for a first win this season.
Oli McBurnie, opening his goal account for the season with a penalty, canceled out Scott McTominay’s somewhat fortuitous opener. However, Diogo Dalot’s late curling strike ultimately secured the decisive goal, denying the Blades a well-deserved point.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom made two adjustments to the starting XI when returning to Premier League action after the international break. Jack Robinson and James McAtee rejoined the team, stepping in for Chris Basham and Anel Ahmedhodzic, who were sidelined due to injury. Oli Norwood took on the role of captain.
Line ups
Blades: Foderingham, Trusty, Hamer (Traoré 84), McBurnie (Brewster 51), Archer, Thomas, Norwood, Robinson, Bogle, Souza, McAtee (Osborn 78).
Unused: Amissah, Fleck, Slimane, Oné, Seriki, Buyabu.
Man Utd: Onana, Lindelöf, Amrabat, Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford (Mount 88), Højlund (Martial 63), Dalot, Antony (Garnacho 63), Evans (Varane 84), McTominay (Eriksen 63).
Unused: Bayindir, Pellistri, van de Beek, Mejbri.
First half
The start under the Bramall Lane floodlights was promising, nearly resulting in the perfect beginning. Onana made a swift save from McBurnie after Hamer’s attempt rebounded off Maguire.
Meanwhile, at the opposite end, Antony’s shot was comfortably collected by Foderingham, and he subsequently pulled a volley wide of the near post.
Archer then challenged Onana from distance with McBurnie playing a pivotal role in the buildup. However, in the 28th minute, the visitors seized the lead, somewhat against the run of play, as McTominay volleyed through a congested area after setting himself up from a pass by Fernandes.
Nonetheless, United equalised within eight minutes, a goal that reflected their efforts. McBurnie converted from the penalty spot after McTominay was correctly adjudged to have handled McAtee’s cross.
With the scoreline level, United had a close call with the woodwork, and Foderingham coming to the rescue before halftime, with Trusty receiving a yellow card for interrupting a restart. Fernandes struck the crossbar with a dipping free kick, and Foderingham promptly blocked Højlund’s close-range effort.
Second half
The second half began positively for United, as Norwood’s left-footed strike was tipped over by the goalkeeper. McBurnie made way for Brewster, who almost immediately made an impact with a long-range effort that posed a significant challenge for Onana with the ball swerving in the air.
Højlund had another promising chance to score following a mix-up between Foderingham and Trusty. A slip from Thomas resulted in Fernandes setting up Rashford, but the English forward dragged his attempt wide of the far post. Souza received a booking for interrupting a counter.
Hamer had an opportunity to strike from a promising position after McAtee advanced the Blades up the field. Gradually, the visitors began asserting themselves following a triple substitution. Amrabat struck the woodwork from the edge of the box.
However, despite their sustained effort, the Blades were ultimately defeated by an outstanding long-range strike from Dalot, curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards, despite Foderingham managing to get two hands to it. Evans was booked for a foul on Archer before leaving the field, clutching his hamstring.
As the game opened up, the Red Devils appeared more likely to secure a third goal. Garnacho missed the best opportunity to do so, and they successfully navigated five minutes of added time to secure all three points.
