Bristol City 0 Sheffield United 1: Pressing masterclass, strong pairing and a surprise start
Arblaster’s thunderbolt wins it for United as they keep a clean sheet at Ashton Gate
Sheffield United got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon against Bristol City at Ashton Gate with the Blades keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win, thanks to Ollie Arblaster’s early strike.
United started with confidence
United started off the game in promising fashion, enjoying 63% of the ball in the opening 15 minutes, acting as a complete contrast to the first quarter at Fratton Park against Portsmouth on Wednesday night.
The Blades relentlessly pumped balls into Bristol City’s box and were rewarded after the first free-kick was poorly cleared by Bristol City, which fell nicely for Oli Arblaster. The midfielder’s eyes lit up as he calmly controlled the ball before striking it into the back of the net from the edge of the box.
The game lacked rhythm at the start, as the ball barely appeared to be in play. Despite the constant stopping and starting, United always looked to take the ball forward whenever they had the opportunity to.
Pressing masterclass
The midfield duo of Kalvin Phillips and Arblaster pressed as a unit and won the ball high, which allowed a fast transition into threatening areas. Despite looking outnumbered in the middle of the park on paper, the pair limited City’s success.
Liam Kitching & Mark McGuinness strong pairing
Kitching was a threat in both boxes, especially during the first half, as he had the most shots (3) and most touches in the opposition's box (5) in the opening 45 minutes. The centre back came close to goal as his shot was deflected and kissed the post. He remained composed defensively throughout the match, acting as a complete block to anything the Robins attempted to create.
McGuinness soldiered on after taking a blow to the face midway through the second half but also showed great calmness and composure in his defending. He racked up seven defensive contributions on the pitch before being replaced in the 79th minute.
Jordan Ayew made his full debut
The former Premier League man didn’t trouble City’s defence too much and spent most of his time on the left-hand side. The Ghana international didn’t offer much of a threat, but some minutes in the tank for the 35-year-old.
Tanganga survives at right-back
There was some discussion when the lineups were announced as to whether United’s gaffer opted for Chong as a right-wing back or Tanganga as a more traditional full-back. It proved to be the latter, as Wilder stuck with his traditional 4-2-2. Although showing glimpses that the skipper wasn’t used to being out wide, especially when he gifted a chance to City’s Yu Hirakawa in the opening four minutes, Tanganga proved to be reasonably solid on the right side.