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What to do with Manchester United this season? An away win that featured the customary first goal concession put Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side in sixth place with 23 points. Win their game in hand and they could be in second place.
However, while United barely performed in brilliant style from kickoff to final whistle, this was their sixth unbeaten Premier League game, including five victories. Sheffield United still has a single point and although the visiting team stuttered at first, then suffered a late scare, they ended up defeating the last team in the division as any title contender should.
The Blades’ loss brought with it an unwanted club record of eight consecutive losses, while Solskjær came close to lamenting his starting pick of Dean Henderson for David de Gea in goal. “He was the good, the bad and the ugly maybe in a different order, always learning,” said the coach. “After that start, he shows his character for the rest of the game, and he passed with flying colors.”
If the good was a good stoppage in added time by Lys Mousset that sealed the victory, the ugly was Henderson’s disastrous start. The home team forced a corner kick through Sander Berge (who was injured shortly after) on the right, and after John Fleck dropped it into the crowd in front of Henderson, he fired away. Then came the calamity.
When Victor Lindelöf threw a short free kick, awarded for offside, to Henderson, he carried left possession through the area to Harry Maguire. The captain returned it and the number one took too long: Oliver Burke loaded Henderson’s punt and threw a pass to David McGoldrick, who scored his fourth goal of the season.
“He freaked out and entertained himself,” Solskjær said of what was United’s last miserable start to an away league game – the sixth time in a row they have been left behind.
Once again, they had to come from behind. Chris Wilder’s men were in charge. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had a choked pass, Fleck fired wide from Henderson’s right post and United couldn’t assert control or pace.
Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic were invisible in midfield, and when Marcus Rashford sank deep to pick up and run at United, he was met with a wall of red and white stripes, Wilder’s five-man defense performing as required.
Solskjær’s side needed a moment of brilliance and after Lindelöf jumped over Rashford, the striker produced a good first touch, then an emphatic shot past Aaron Ramsdale. Then Anthony Martial seemed certain he would break his duck in the league when Bruno Fernandes played him, only for John Egan to make it clear.
The Frenchman didn’t have to wait long to finally score a first league goal. A brilliant no-look pass from Pogba, who became preeminent, bypassed the home defense and found Martial, who finished. Suddenly United were 2-1 up and Rashford was running towards a pass from Martial and while his left foot shot was direct at Ramsdale, United finished the first half on the happier side.
Perhaps with a flea in their collective Solskjær ear they were much brighter at the beginning of the second period. Nemanja Matic found Fernandes an expert, Mason Greenwood claimed a free throw and United had a third.
This was a sweet sequence that featured a Pogba pirouette in his own half before the ball passed through Fernandes, Greenwood, back to Fernandes and Martial, whose poor ball control inadvertently hit Rashford and unloaded under Ramsdale. for 3- 1.
Pogba had created two goals in the classic Pogba way: through the elevated skill of the best. Eyebrows were raised when he was elected before Donny van de Beek, but his display justified Solskjær’s decision.
The Frenchman was leading the game as Fernandes often does for United: demanding the ball and using it destructively while inspiring his teammates.
Solskjær said: “We know [Paul’s] vision, creativity – and his strength in the air, he knew he was going to be important on set pieces, goal kicks, and he more or less won every header. Paul responded very well to the work he’s been doing and it was an excellent performance. “
United’s late alarm came when Lindelöf headed a corner against McGoldrick and somehow beat the unfortunate Henderson, who soon redeemed himself by saving himself from Mousset and securing victory.
However, the sad race continues for Wilder. “I am happy with the way of the performance, we asked some questions of some world class players,” he said. “I don’t worry about my work. I keep coming to work and doing the best I can. People don’t understand what Sheffield United is about when they talk about people’s future. “
