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Manchester United continued their remarkable run of away wins in the 2020-21 Premier League as they recovered from a goal down to triumph 3-2 over bottom-placed Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
The hosts took the lead as early as the fifth minute through David McGoldrick, who capitalised on an error by Dean Henderson in the Manchester United goal to roll the ball into an empty net.
The visitors, who found themselves in familiar territory, responded as they have done on several occasions already this season. Manchester United restored parity in the 26th minute through Marcus Rashford and then took the lead seven minutes later when Anthony Martial grabbed his first league goal of the season.
Six minutes into the second half, Marcus Rashford doubled his tally on the night and extended Manchester United’s lead. His powerful effort squirmed underneath Aaron Ramsdale and into the net to give the visitors some much-needed breathing room in the contest.
The home side were handed a lifeline in the 87th minute when an inswinging corner found its way into the net off McGoldrick’s head after a couple of ricochets in the box. Unfortunately for the Blades, it was too little too late, as Manchester United managed to see out the game and take all three points for a tenth away league game on the trot.
With the nervy win, Manchester United moved up to sixth in the league table while Sheffield United remain rooted to the bottom of the table and still searching for their first win of the season.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five major talking points from a free-scoring affair at Bramall Lane.
#1 A tale of two remarkable runs
Manchester United’s visit to Bramall Lane had garnered its fair share of anticipatory headlines not just because of the six-goal thriller the sides delivered last season but also because of the contrasting fortunes of the two sides this campaign.
The Blades were a revelation last season; however, this season, Sheffield United have spectacularly imploded and are the only winless team in the division after 13 games.
Sheffield United's performances on the pitch have not been noticeably poor, but injuries to key personnel have meant that they are languishing at the bottom of the league table with a solitary point at the one-third point of the season.
Manchester United did not enjoy a dream start to the season themselves but are in the midst of an impressive winning streak away from home in this campaign. The win over the Blades marked the Red Devils’ sixth straight away win of the season. Remarkably, Manchester United have come from behind to win in each of these matches.
#2 Manchester United's questionable team selection
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come under criticism this season for frequently chopping and changing his personnel in the Premier League this season.
Against Sheffield United, Solskjaer opted to draft in young goalkeeper Dean Henderson in place of David de Gea while also naming both Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in an attack-heavy three-man midfield.
Solskjaer's decision to rotate goalkeepers, which had already raised eyebrows before kickoff, came under even more scrutiny five minutes into the game when Henderson’s horrendous error gifted the lead to his former side.
To his credit though, the Manchester United shot-stopper shook off the nerves and made a few key saves as the game wore on. However, the rationale behind Solskjaer changing goalkeepers in a league fixture rather than a Cup competition still remains rather questionable.
#3 Paul Pogba produces an impressive performance
Paul Pogba is a player who has massively split opinion since returning to Manchester United from Juventus in 2016, as the World Cup-winning midfielder has often frustrated fans by not playing to his full potential.
Off-field factors have not helped his cause either, with some ill-timed comments made by his agent before Manchester United’s crucial Champions League game against RB Leipzig last week drawing the ire of the club faithful.
With the spotlight shining brightly on him, Pogba produced an impactful cameo in against Leipzig and followed that up with a solid showing in the Manchester derby last weekend. The Frenchman delivered another excellent performance against Sheffield United as well.
Bringing the ball out from the back, Pogba set off numerous Manchester United attacks with his precise passing and direct dribbling while also assisting his side’s second goal with a delightful chipped pass.
Pogba was also instrumental in Manchester United’s third goal, as his deft pass to Martial laid the groundwork for his compatriot to set up Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United fans will hope that Pogba remains consistent and replicates his top-class performances more often going forward.
#4 Manchester United’s defensive frailties come to the fore
While their forward line scored three goals to seal three points for the side, Manchester United’s shaky defence was given another needlessly stern examination by Sheffield United.
Having shown frailties in previous games this season, Manchester United’s back four had a new goalkeeper - Dean Henderson - behind them at Sheffield United. However, the new-look defence was breached just five minutes in after a calamitous error by the keeper.
In fact, the visitors had to withstand a barrage of constant pressure from the hosts for much of the opening exchanges as Sheffield United sensed an opportunity to pounce on a leaky backline.
Even after eking out a seemingly comfortable two-goal cushion, the Red Devils complicated matters by letting in another goal with only a few minutes left.
While Manchester United can savour another positive result on the road, there is a lot of work to be done on defensive organisation and closing out games more clinically, a quality often exhibited by elite teams.
#5 Manchester United's win opens up an intriguing title race
With the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur all dropping points this game-week, Manchester United were one of the biggest beneficiaries, creeping up to sixth in the Premier League table.
Solskjaer’s men also have the luxury of a game in hand over most of their nearest competitors, three points from which could see them shoot up to second place in the table.
Despite a shaky start to the season, Manchester United could mount a serious title challenge. While Liverpool remain the team to beat, the chasing pack is a lot closer to the defending champions this campaign.
