Substitute Harvey Barnes’ majestic strike helped Leicester City inflict a first Premier League defeat of the season on Sheffield United in a pulsating affair at Bramall Lane.
Six minutes after coming on, Barnes fired a half-volley from the edge of the box which flew past home keeper Dean Henderson to dampen what had been a spirited United fightback.
The superb finish came just eight minutes after the home side had cancelled out Jamie Vardy’s first-half opener when record signing Oliver McBurnie found a first goal for the club after coming off the bench.
McBurnie’s header, low into the bottom corner, sent Bramall Lane into raptures and United appeared to have momentum.
But Barnes then lashed in to give Leicester a first league win of the season and Chris Wilder’s side only their second defeat in 21 matches.
Vardy was booed by home fans and made light of the treatment when celebrating his opening goal
In his own words, Barnes found a “sweet connection” from 18 yards to leave Henderson motionless and win the first-ever Premier League meeting between the clubs.
It was perhaps harsh on Sheffield United who deservedly trailed at the break but showed an abundance of endeavour in the second half, notably from 54 minutes when Wilder introduced Billy Sharp and McBurnie.
But if Barnes’ hit was classy, Leicester deserves praise for their grit in the face of the hosts’ onslaught, with central defender Caglar Soyuncu proving outstanding all day and defensive midfielder Hamza Choudhury completing more interceptions than anyone else on the pitch.
The Foxes’ opening goal underlined their mix of work-rate and class. Ayoze Perez robbed defender Chris Basham before James Maddison played a deft pass with the outside of his foot into space, allowing Vardy to race in and power home left-footed.
Vardy – a boyhood Sheffield Wednesday fan – had been booed throughout and duly cupped his ears in celebration.
He had just eight first-half touches and 16 across the 94 minutes but with Maddison so crafty in finding space around him, Vardy always looked a threat.
Since the beginning of last season, Maddison has created more chances than any other Premier League player and with England manager Gareth Southgate watching from the stands, he again served up an intelligent display.
Wilder summed up the defeat by stating his side got what they deserved and when quizzed on their admirable effort, he replied: “I don’t see why that should get applause.”
It was harsh if typically honest reflection from the 51-year-old.
Match of the Day commentator Alistair Mann highlighted the “terrific noise” generated inside Bramall Lane early on but aside from the long-range efforts from John Lundstram and George Baldock, the home side did little to repay their fans in the opening 45 minutes.
The Blades’ passing accuracy at 75.5% was down by about 2% on last week’s win over Crystal Palace and they could not find an attacking rhythm early on.
Sharp and McBurnie’s introduction seemed to raise home spirits and suddenly Leicester’s midfield of Choudhury, Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet seemed unable to close spaces as quickly.
Baldock’s pin-point delivery allowed McBurnie to score – proving why the Blades paid Swansea £20m for the striker. But after that goal, Leicester defended their penalty area stoutly.
Keeper Kasper Schmeichel spectacularly denied McBurnie – though the effort was later flagged offside – and the home side then struggled to muster a moment of quality, even with former Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison introduced from the bench for his debut.
It proved a day of frustration for Wilder who concluded his side was not “brave enough”.
You might also like… Manchester United 1 – 2 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace stunned Manchester United as Patrick van Aanholt scored an injury-time winner to record their first victory at Old Trafford since 1989.
Full-back Van Aanholt netted in the 93rd minute, smashing in as the ball broke loose following Wilfried Zaha’s burst forward.
Daniel James thought he had rescued a point for United when he curled in a delightful equaliser in the 89th minute following neat build-up from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. read more
Source – BBC
