– They deprived us of a goal – VG

Sheffield United’s controversial first goal and a cancellation following a free kick against Harry Maguire was the big topic of conversation on the Manchester United pitch.

The Manchester Reds had taken the top of the table with a win, but instead it was a 1-2 loss against the determined jumbo of the Premier League. Sheffield United held on to just one win all season before heading to Manchester on Wednesday.

It is the first time since the 2nd of Christmas 1973 that Sheffield United have won at Old Trafford.

– Of course we are disappointed. We could not find a solution against his compact and good defense, said Ole Gunnar Solskjær in an interview shown on TV 2.

– But they deprived us of a goal, one hundred percent. It’s a wrong decision when Anthony’s goal is disallowed. His first goal was also a referee error. Billy Sharp crashes into David’s (de Gea’s) back, the Manchester United manager said.

– There were two wrong referee decisions, Solskjær told the BBC.

“It’s the referee’s fault but we shouldn’t blame him,” Manchester United stopper Harry Maguire said.

– This is the surprise of the season for me, said Brede Hangeland in the TV 2 studio.

Oliver Burke had just entered the field when he scored 2-1 for Sheffield United, a first in the Premier League. He shot through an unfortunate Axel Tuanzebe. Goalkeeper David de Gea was completely outmaneuvered and had no chance to save.

– It’s a comical Manchester United defense game. Look at how stuck it is, Hangeland said.

Earlier, Harry Maguire had scored the 1-1 after a corner from Alex Telles. The Manchester United cap held moderately against the club where he began his career.

In the first half, Kean Bryan (with a Manchester City background) had scored his first Premier League goal on one of Sheffield United’s few visits to Manchester United’s goal. The scoreboard came after a corner from John Fleck. But television images showed that goalkeeper David de Gea was handicapped when he was about to go out to catch the ball. But it was never considered by VAR.

– Billy Sharp throws himself at the goalkeeper. David de Gea is so hampered that I think it’s a free kick for a goalkeeper attack, Brede Hangeland said in the TV 2 studio.

However, according to the Manchester Evening News, former Premier League referee Peter Walton believes De Gea was unaffected to such an extent that there should be a free kick against the Sheffield United player.

Later in the game, there was a similar situation on the second goal when Harry Maguire was suspended for attacking Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale just before Anthony Martial put the ball into goal.

I think it’s a lesser foul than De Gea, Hangeland thought.

Harry Maguire said the same:

– There are more free throws for De Gea than I have against me, said the stopper in an interview broadcast on TV 2.

– But we shouldn’t blame him for the fact that we lost.

Although Manchester United had the ball, with a clear 80 percent possession, they failed to create as many chances before the break.

– It has not been especially impressive, but there are tendencies to the good game. It’s almost a scandal if they don’t change this, Hangeland declared during the break.

Manchester United have had a tendency to come back after being low this season, but should it happen this time too? Many thought it was 1-1, but Sheffield United surprised with their second goal of the night.

Sheffield United have scored two goals once before this Premier League season, in a 2-3 loss to Manchester United on 17 December.

– We thought it was possible and we had nothing to lose, says Kean Bryan, who scored the first goal, in an interview that was shown on TV 2.

– The table does not lie, but hopefully we can take advantage of this victory.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has rightly been smiling widely lately. The last 13 games before the meeting with Sheffield United had been 10-3-0 in the league.

Now the loss came, when it was least expected.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder praised midfielder Phil Jagielka (who turns 39 in 2021) after:

– He took everything. This is a special result and a special performance for us.

The last team, Sheffield United, had terrible away statistics beforehand this season: 0-1-8. And the next game is Manchester City, also away, already on Saturday. Then West Bromwich already on Tuesday.

Norwegian national team player Sander Berge was among the many missing from Sheffield United.