Hull City v Sheffield United: Oli McBurnie and Sander Berge send the visitors back to the top of the Championship

But this multi-purpose bowl, located a short punt away from the club’s old Circle Ground, isn’t the Nef Stadyumu or even the Sukru Saracoglu; home of the Turkish media magnate’s beloved Fenerbahce. And statements like that tend to bring out the best in Paul Heckingbottom’s players, who regained their place at the top of the Championship table thanks to efforts either side of the interval from Oli McBurnie and Sander Berge.

“We were strong out there without the ball,” said Heckingbottom. “There were a couple of sloppy moments but, overall, that was a one to eleven performance.”

City, who entered this fixture with an unblemished home record, made United work. But as Heckingbottom reflected afterwards, the visitors possess tenacity as well as panache. Two essential ingredients of any promotion winning squad.

“You need quality, but you need the other stuff as well,” continued Heckingbottom, who fought hard to keep Berge during the transfer window. “It was a positive outcome.”

Now under the stewardship of Ilicali and Shota Arveladze, the man tasked with the responsibility of turning his boss’ dreams into reality, City are a more formidable proposition than they have been in recent seasons. Ozan Tufan, the new regime’s marquee signing, returned following injury while Greece’s Dimitrios Pelkas made his debut during the second period after arriving on loan from Ilicali’s boyhood club.

But McBurnie is also unrecognisable to the centre-forward who struggled to even labour his way through the past couple of campaigns. After a feisty enough start from the hosts, McBurnie punctured their enthusiasm with his third goal in as many outings. Albeit with a huge helping hand from Matt Ingram, who inexplicably allowed the 26-year-old’s drive to squeeze through his body as it flew towards the near post.

“He should have saved it,” Arveladze conceded. “But it happens.”

City should have drawn level almost immediately, when Oscar Estupinan found himself unmarked and bearing down on Wes Foderingham. Rather than shoot when the opportunity presented itself, however, the Colombia international indulged in a spot of impromptu salsa. If the shaking of his feet and shimmying of his hips was designed to confuse Foderingham it certainly didn’t work, as he got enough on the ball to prevent it reaching the back of the net. Len Goodman might have been impressed. Arveladze wasn’t.

If there was a fault in United’s performance, it was the fact they didn’t go for the jugular following McBurnie’s finish. City took some credit for that, pressing and beavering away in midfield as they attempted to deny the visitors’ most creative performers the space to weave their magic. But with a little extra tempo, one sensed Heckingbottom’s men could have quickly stretched their lead.

After surviving another scare, when Tufan went close, Iliman Ndiaye tried to seize the initiative by gliding beautifully into position only to misjudge his shot.

Fortunately he got his angles exactly right when executing the pass which allowed Berge to fire home during the closing stages.

“I thought we nullified them,” Heckingbottom said. “Opponents who had won three from three before this. And that takes real focus.”

Hull City: Ingram, Coyle ©, Elder (Smith 69), Greaves, Jones (McLoughlin 75), Figueiredo, Tufan (Pelkas 75), Woods (Seri 69), Estupinan, Slater, Tetteh (Longman 14). Not used: Baxter, Christie.

Sheffield United: Foderingham, Baldock, Lowe (Basham 30), Norrington-Davies, Egan ©, Ahmedhodzic, Norwood, Berge (McAtee 87), Doyle (Arblaster 87), Ndiaye, McBurnie (Brewster 69). Not used: Amissah, Khadra, Gordon.

Referee: M Donohue (Greater Manchester).

Attendance: 20,426.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sheffield-united-supporters-receive-a-message-ahead-of-hull-city-clash-3830160