Manchester United made hard work of their 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday evening.
After a slow start, Scott McTominay improvised a volley to put the Red Devils, but he went from hero to villain by immediately conceding a penalty from which Oli McBurnie bagged an equalizer.
Man Utd were on top for the vast majority of the second half and snatched the win through Diogo Dalot’s sensational strike from range midway through the second half.
How the game unfolded
Sheffield United got in early and McBurnie drove low into the arms of Andre Onana inside the opening few minutes at Bramall Lane.
The home side remained on top in the opening stages, with Man Utd forced to settle for sporadic counters which failed to test Wes Foderingham, whereas Onana had to be alert to deny Cameron Archer from range.
Completely against the run of play, Erik ten Hag’s side poked themselves ahead. McTominay rescued a poor pass from Bruno Fernandes and managed to turn it into a scruffy volley which found its way into the back of the net, handing Man Utd a lead they hardly deserved at this point.
Just three minutes later, however, McTominay quite literally handed Sheffield United the chance to equalize when he used his arm to block a cross into the box and upstepped McBurnie to convert the ensuing penalty and score his first Premier League goal in over three years.
Marcus Rashford fizzed a ball across the six-yard box and Rasmus Hojlund was just inches away from tapping home a second for Man Utd before Fernandes sent a free-kick off the top of Foderingham’s crossbar.
In the dying embers of the first half, Foderingham made a superb stop to deny Hojlund as United ended the first 45 on top.
It was Onana who made the first real stop of the second half. Oliver Norwood’s ferocious strike needed tipping over before Rashford drove wide at the other end of the pitch after some good work from Antony.
Sofyan Amrabat crashed against the frame of the goal with a sublime strike from distance, but Man Utd continued to be frustrated by the home side, who were increasingly willing to sit deep and protect their point.
It was always going to take something special to get the job done, and that’s exactly what Dalot provided with his rocket from range in the 77th minute.
Alejandro Garnacho nearly managed his own strike from distance and had Foderingham rooted to the ground as his effort struck the side netting, forcing Man Utd to settle for their two goals.
Man Utd player ratings (4-2-3-1)
GK: Andre Onana – 6/10 – Was busier than he expected but will be relieved to make it through the game without attracting unwanted attention. Could do nothing about the penalty.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 7/10 – A quiet first half but made the difference with a glorious goal to seal all three points.
CB: Harry Maguire – 7/10 – Another solid defensive performance from Maguire, who hoovered up plenty of loose balls. Seemed to pop up all over the pitch as well.
CB: Jonny Evans – 6/10 – Spent plenty of time in midfield in a fascinating hybrid role. Showed real tactical discipline to do the job.
LB: Victor Lindelof – 5/10 – Looked uncomfortable at left-back, but that’s partly because he’s not a left-back. Ironically, it was that inability to play with his left foot that actually led to the winning goal.
DM: Scott McTominay – 6/10 – Did very well with his goal but immediately canceled that out by conceding a penalty.
DM: Sofyan Amrabat – 6/10 – A slow start to the game which saw Amrabat struggle to keep up with the pace, although McTominay’s runs forward often left him isolated.
RM: Antony – 6/10 – Had some really lively moments but drifted in and out of the game too often.
AM: Bruno Fernandes – 6/10 – Somehow got the assist for McTominay’s opener and hit the bar with a free-kick, and yet this still didn’t feel like a strong game from Fernandes. Some poor passing limited his team in the final third.
LM: Marcus Rashford – 5/10 – Got the odd glimpse of goal when Bogle fell asleep. Seemed determined to dribble himself into danger.
ST: Rasmus Hojlund – 6/10 – Really worked hard and could have easily had his first Premier League goal, had it not been for Foderingham.
Substitutes
SUB: Anthony Martial (63′ for Hojlund) – 6/10
SUB: Christian Eriksen (63′ for McTominay) – 6/10
SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (63′ for Antony) – 6/10
SUB: Raphael Varane (84′ for Evans) – N/A
SUB: Mason Mount (87′ for Rashford) – N/A
Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Hannibal Mejbri, Donny van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri
Manager
Erik ten Hag – 5/10 – It didn’t feel like tactics were behind Man Utd’s comeback here. Ten Hag seems to have lost his identity and is reliant on individual moments of brilliance.
