Manchester City continued their strong start to the Premier League campaign by defeating Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, maintaining their unbeaten record against them for the ninth consecutive match....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Sheffield United had a rough start to the season with two losses in a row, so expectations were not high for them. However, their manager, Paul Heckingbottom, would have been reasonably satisfied with how his team performed in the first half.
City dominated possession and almost took the lead in the 20th minute, but Nathan Aké’s goal was disallowed for being offside in the build-up. As half-time was approaching, Julián Álvarez’s pass was handled by John Egan, resulting in a penalty for City.
Erling Haaland stepped up to take the penalty, but unfortunately, he hit the post instead of scoring, keeping the score level at half-time.
The second half of the match followed a familiar pattern, with both teams creating chances, but Manchester City struggled to find the back of the net. Erling Haaland missed a couple of good opportunities, and Rodri’s shot was dragged wide. However, it was only a matter of time before City broke the deadlock.
In a superb display of skill, Jack Grealish created space in the box and delivered a perfect cross for Haaland, who thundered a header into the net at the back post. It was a goal that had been coming, and even the most optimistic Sheffield United fan couldn’t have been surprised.
Sheffield United had a moment of relief when Haaland’s potential second goal was ruled offside. They tried to capitalize on this and had their first real attempt on goal deep into the second half.
The hosts had been restricted to few scoring opportunities, but a major mistake by Kyle Walker at the back gave his former team a lifeline. Jayden Bogle, a substitute for Sheffield United, gratefully accepted the chance and equalized.
Frustrated by his error, Walker quickly got back into the game and contributed to City’s response. He played a ball into the area, which fell perfectly for Rodri to smash home a powerful shot.
This goal turned out to be crucial as a Pep Guardiola-less City managed to hold on and secure the victory, putting them at the top of the Premier League table.
Sheffield United, despite scoring for only the second time in eleven Premier League matches against City, will be deeply disappointed to have come so close to earning a valuable point.
They now have the opportunity to bounce back and earn their first points of the season in their upcoming match against Everton, who have yet to score a goal….READFULL
