Blades secure first Premier League victory of the season at the 18th time of asking

Sheffield United registered their first league win since July as Billy Sharp’s calmly taken penalty proved to be enough for Chris Wilder’s men to finally kickstart their campaign.

 The 34-year-old Englishman scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot with just over 15 minutes left to play. VAR eventually awarded the spot kick after Argentinian defender Federico Fernandez was deemed to have intentionally handled the ball away from Sharp, who was through on goal.

The veteran forward converted the penalty with ease to score his 100th league goal for his hometown club. This marked the skipper’s second goal in just 220 minutes of football so far this season.

Steve Bruce was left frustrated by the dismissal of Scotland international Ryan Fraser, who received two yellow cards within the final three minutes of the first half. Both challenges were clumsy, and ultimately, his withdrawal nullified the Newcastle attack, with their three main chances failing to test Aaron Ramsdale.

However, The Blades were nearly the architects of their own downfall as they provided the Magpies with their best chance of equalising. Jayden Bogle should count himself lucky as he chested the ball past the onrushing Ramsdale in the final minute of added time; however, the effort narrowly avoided the 22-year-old’s post.

United fully deserved their 1-0 victory as they played outstanding, free-flowing football that saw them create more than five times as many chances as their opponents. They carved Newcastle apart on a multitude of occasions and were unfortunate to not score more.

David McGoldrick was a constant threat, as his fantastic positional awareness presented him with various opportunities to find the net; however, he continuously failed to test Magpies’ shot-stopper Karl Darlow.

Furthermore, the home team enjoyed a very sizeable chunk of the possession (66%) and registered 17 shots throughout the game, which is their second highest haul from any league match this season.

The South Yorkshire side’s standout performance undoubtedly came from Welsh centre-half Ethan Ampadu. The 22-year-old joined on loan from Chelsea back in the summer, and despite his inconstancies so far this term, he showed his class on Tuesday night.

The former Leipzig loanee provided Sheffield United with a crucial aerial presence, winning seven duels in the air (more than anybody else). Moreover, his two key passes and seven completed long balls put the Blades on the front foot and helped them to create chances.

Despite playing four of the traditional top six in their next five league games, Chris Wilder’s men will be hoping that this victory can inspire them to turn some heads in the coming weeks.

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