Sheffield United star’s pledge to supporters as wait for first win of season continues at Tottenham Hotspur

Chris Basham has promised Sheffield United’s supporters that they will be able to celebrate a first win of the Premier League season soon, after their late heartbreak at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. United led 1-0 going into 12 minutes of added time before late goals from Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski sentenced them to a cruel defeat.

It was another case of near yet so far for the Blades, who travelled back north with one point from their five league games so far. They have competed in every one - especially at home to treble-winners Manchester City and second-placed Spurs - but late goals have hurt them, with Chris Wood’s 89th-minute winner also denying them what would have been a deserved point away at Nottingham Forest.

The Blades were minutes away from a morale-boosting point at home to City before Rodri’s winner two minutes from time, and face another tough task this weekend when Newcastle United come to town after their Champions League exploits in Milan this midweek. “Every team knows when they come against Sheffield United, they’re not going to get an easy ride,” Basham said. “These are second top in the division and we’re fighting down the bottom and sometimes don’t go for you. But I’m sure there’ll be a night or day to remember very soon for Sheffield United.”

Despite defeat at Spurs’ gleaming stadium, Paul Heckingbottom’s men remained outside the relegation places owing to their superior goal difference over relegation rivals Everton and Burnley, who earned their first point of the season against Forest on Monday evening. “This is what the Premier League is all about,” added Basham, when asked about United’s latest late goals conceded this season. “It’s right to the end. We’ve had a few sucker punches recently, a few 90-odd minute goals but we’ve brought in some great quality players who want to express themselves even more as the season goes on and all we can do is react in the right way.

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I don’t think there’s anything you can put a stamp on [as to why so many have been conceded]. The manager said in his dress-down meeting that we’re going to have a look at the goals back. They’re disappointing because one’s a corner which we dealt with really well before that, and then a moment of great class from the player on his weaker foot to put it through Robbo’s legs and into the other side of the goal. We can’t put a stamp on anything like that, it’s just how the Premier League is. They’re elite players and we’re hurting. But one day we’ll be on the opposite end of that and we’ll be the ones running away celebrating at the end of the game like Tottenham did.”