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Sheffield United hosted Manchester United at Bramall Lane for match week 13 in the Premier League and the home side snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat as the game ended 3-3 and the points were shared.
The Red Devils came into the game on the back of a win against Brighton at Old Trafford before the international break. The Blades, on the other hand, drew against Tottenham Hotspurs in match week 12.
The game was expected to be a tough one for Manchester United. This was mainly due to the organization and work rate of Sheffield United at home. Brandon Williams started the game for Manchester United at left back. The first half turned out to be as predicted by many as Sheffield dominated in terms of possession worked hard and won the ball back whenever they lost it in midfield. They hardly provided Manchester United's runners opportunities to break away.
Sheffield opened the scoring through John Fleck in the 19th minute. After the goal, Sheffield didn't sit back and defend as many would have expected, and instead, they took the game to Manchester United in search of the second. This positive sense of play turned into the second goal for the Blades when Lys Mousset scored in the 52nd minute.
The match was far from over at this point as Manchester United made a brilliant comeback and scored 3 goals in the space of 8 minutes. The game had more drama in hand as Olie McBurnie scored for Sheffield in the 90th minute to earn a point for Chris Wilder's team. Let's take a look at 3 talking points from the game.
3. Method to Sheffield's sharpness
Sheffield have now won 4, drawn 6 and lost only 3 of their opening 13 matches. Many would've expected them to be fighting to stay in the league, instead, they are 6th in the Premier League table. They are ahead on points when compared to Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. This privileged position that they are in is no fluke. They've won against Arsenal, drawn against Red Devils and Tottenham so far.
Liverpool scraped their way to victory against them. Managed by Chris Wilder, they've gone on to become one of the most organized sides in the Premier League. This organization is not only limited to defence, players almost have a sense of where their teammates are once a pass is about to be played. The Blades press in numbers and defend in numbers, and the team is quick to understand where the position of every player is supposed to be in attack and in defence.
Mousset and McBurnie are smart in how they make their runs. They always keep the opposition center halves on their toes. However, the midfield is the engine of this team. They often are the triggers for pressing and are also responsible for transition from defence to attack when they counter. In short, The Blades have a system of play that is proving to be very successful in the league this season.
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2. Youngsters saved the day
Since Ole Gunner Solskjaer became the Manchester United manager, a lot of focus and trust has been placed on the academy players. In fact, over the last couple of years, we have seen youngsters come up and make first-team positions their own.
United's recruitment from outside of the academy has largely been unsuccessful since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. Solskjaer has tried to bring back that academy culture, with chances being given to players such as Mason Greenwood, Brandon Williams to name a few. Even a regular starter in Scott Mctominay is an academy graduate.
That faith shown by the manager had to be repaid at some point and this was the game where the youngsters announced themselves in the Premier League. Williams started the comeback for United, scoring a fine goal with his right foot in the 72nd minute. Mason Greenwood scored brilliantly from a Marcus Rashford cross, showing everyone how good a finisher he is at such a young age. He became United's 3rd youngest goalscorer ever in the process.
Marcus Rashford scored the third goal in the 79th minute to take the lead after some brilliant wing play from Daniel James. This all happened for United in a space of 8 minutes. The young attack showed some potential and displayed the amount of damage they can do in small sessions of possession, momentum and coordination.
Although a draw against Sheffield is hardly a cause to celebrate for The Red Devils, Solskjaer has shown that he is capable of developing the squad the right way in the long term.
1. Exciting race for European spots
The race for European spots in this year's Premier League has been exciting, to say the least. Leicester City has been a new entry in the Champions League spots this year taking over from Tottenham Hotspur. They might be primed for a Champions League season next term, considering the way they have been playing under the experienced Brendan Rodgers.
The Europa League spots are the ones difficult to predict. Currently, Wolves are 5th and Sheffield United is 6th, much to the surprise of many. That being said, the difference between 5th and 11th place is only 3 points. This doesn't give the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester Untied any space to breathe and lose matches if they are to finish in those remaining European spots. The time to gain ground is the festive period where teams can either attain their objectives or lose grip of their season entirely.
Every match from now on is a must-win for the 3 teams, who are a part of the so-called "Top Six" of the Premier League. The advantage now for Tottenham Hotspur is that they have Jose Mourinho as their manager. The Special One knows how to win, and this makes Spurs one of the favourites for the 5th spot.
However, Arsenal and Manchester United are in a tricky position and they have to be absolutely flawless to win football matches. Complete team performance in every game from now onwards is the only chance that these teams have to save their season.
