'Aggressive' Sheffield United edge closer to return of THE REAL BLADES despite FA Cup defeat to Arsenal

Chris Wilder got one, as his Sheffield United side came within a whisker of denying Arsenal a place in the FA Cup semi-finals following this dramatic and at times controversial encounter at Bramall Lane. But he was denied the other, with the visitors’ claiming a last gasp winning goal courtesy of substitute Dani Ceballos.

Although the United manager cut an understandably disappointed figure after the final whistle, his mood was noticeably more upbeat than during the inquests into the recent defeats by both Newcastle and Manchester United - when the players stood accused of making it easy for the opposition as they suffered back to back 3-0 defeats.

Don’t like losing

Wilder’s squad remains without a win since English football returned to action following the Covid-19 pandemic. But as he picked through the bones of the tie, the 52-year-old insisted this was the type of display he recognised from a group usually known for its ferocious competitive nature.

“We don’t like losing,” Wilder admitted, after watching Ceballos, on loan from Real Madrid, cancel-out David McGoldrick’s equaliser after Nicolas Pepe had earlier converted from the spot.

“But we were more aggressive in terms of our approach and so, even though we’re not quite getting that balance right at the moment, I was much more comfortable with what I saw out there. I thought the lads showed plenty of encouraging signs.”

Arsenal had travelled north in less than spectacular shape themselves, despite beating Southampton four days earlier. But Wilder, introducing a sense of perspective into the debate surrounding his own team’s fortunes of late, rubbished the notion they were no longer members of English football’s aristocracy.

It became clear why when the team sheets were delivered to the referee’s room ahead of kick-off. If United breathed a sigh of relief when they noticed Mikel Arteta had named Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - a centre-forward being courted by the likes of Juventus and Barcelona - on the bench, deciphering the Basque’s handwriting quickly revealed the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Granit Xhaka and Alexandre Lacazette, who cost a combined total of nearly £150m, would all start for the visitors. United’s entire transfer spend immediately after being promoted from the Championship last season amounted to around a third of that.

“You know they’ve got quality going forward,” Wilder acknowledged. “They are a big and powerful football club. I don’t care what anybody else believes. That’s what we’re up against. Week in, week out. And it’s why we need to be at our best - producing nine out of tens and ten out of tens. Not fives or six, if you know what I mean.”

Although United did their best to crank-up the atmosphere beforehand, with spectators still barred from attending the stadium fell silent when the action finally got underway. The noise, or lack of it, served to highlight one of the biggest handicaps Wilder’s team has faced since competition resumed earlier this month. Another reared its head soon after, less than 10 minutes into the contest.

VAR strikes again

The absence of supporters has proved particularly challenging for United, who entered this fixture without a win in three games. But technology has been an even greater hindrance and, 11 days after the Hawkeye system cost them dear against Aston Villa, now it was VAR’s turn to frustrate Wilder and his side.

Oliver Norwood, whose free-kick was carried across the line by Orjan Nyland midway through that goalless draw in the West Midlands, whipped in the second of two quick-fire corners and Lundstram turned the ball home. But the effort was disallowed when Peter Bankes, after studying footage of the scramble back at Stockley Park, decided a United player had strayed offside during the build-up.

Seventeen minutes later, it appeared as if someone had got their angles wrong again when Arsenal were awarded the penalty which saw Pepe open the scoring.

Paul Tierney’s decision to punish Chris Basham’s challenge on Lacazette seemed harsh, with the Frenchman doing his level best to alert the officials to the fact that contact - however slight - had been made. It felt harsher still, admittedly without the benefit of a television replay, when it was decided the tackle had been made inside the area. But Pepe was in no mood to ensure that justice was maybe done, threading a low shot between Dean Henderson’s outstretched palm and the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

“I had no complaints with the penalty,” Wilder said diplomatically. “It seems like you don’t need to give an invitation out for some boys to go over. Maybe it’s natural for some players at that level. It isn’t natural for me and my players. There was contact, he went down and gave the ref a decision to make. A couple of things have maybe gone against us but we have to battle and fight through it.”

More injury woes

Despite falling behind, there had been several encouraging signs from a United team which, by Wilder’s own admission, had fallen short of its usual high standards during recent defeats at St James' Park and Old Traffird. Arsenal, with David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi doing their level best to give Arteta palpitations, were far from assured whenever the hosts moved forward. Which, with centre-half Jack Robinson showing his desire to charge forward on the overlap, had been often until Pepe’s strike.

Indeed, it was the former Nottingham Forest defender’s run which prompted the first of the set-pieces before Lundstram pounced from close-range. But luck deserted United again when Lundstram was forced off with an injury before the interval. With Jack O’Connell still absent and Tottenham Hotspur arriving in town on Thursday, Wilder can ill-afford to lose any more of his most influential names between now and the end of the campaign.

Praise for McGoldrick

The momentum United built-up during the second period might have taken until the 87th minute to pay dividends, but their breakthrough was deserved - McGoldrick scooping into the back of the net after Robinson’s throw-in had caused confusion among the Arsenal ranks.

“I thought he showed his quality, David,” Wilder said afterwards. “I always thought we would get back into the game, even before that, because we dominated after the break and created the better chances. I just thought we were the dominant team and they had to defend for their lives at times. It was fine margins.”

Wilder was referring to an incident, seconds before Ceballos pounced, when Billy Sharp drew a fine save from Emilliano Martinez after being summoned from the bench. The United captain barely had time to draw breath before fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah darted upfield, found Pepe and, despite Enda Stevens’ efforts to stop it, the ball fell at the Spaniard’s feet and was thrashed through Henderson’s legs.

“I’m happy with aspects of the game,” Wilder said. “But I’m not happy of course, which I think goes without saying, that we didn’t take our chance to reach the semi-finals. But I do think the lads showed what an honest bunch they are.”

Sheffield United: Henderson, Baldock (K Freeman 62), Stevens, Robinson, Egan, Basham (Sharp 76), Norwood, Fleck, Lundstram (Berge 34), McBurnie, McGoldrick. Not used: Moore, L Freeman, Jagielka, Mousset, Osborn, Zivkovic.

Arsenal: Martinez, Tierney, Lacazette (Nketiah 67), Maitland-Niles, Pepe (Sokratis 90), Mustafi, Luiz (Holding 54), Willock (Ceballos 67), Kolasinac, Xhaka, Saka. Not used: Bellerin, Sokratis, Aubameyang, Nelson, Macey, Smith.

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).