Evening all and welcome along to a midweek helping of Premier League action. It’s a relentless schedule at the moment with four games kicking off at 6pm today and later, league leaders Liverpool can take another step closer to putting the title race to bed when they face Crystal Palace.
Before that our focus is Old Trafford at 6pm with 5th-placed Manchester United hosting 8th-placed Sheffield United.
Both are still looking for their first win since the action resumed after the coronavirus-enforced shutdown. Chris Wilder’s side have deservedly drawn a lot of plaudits this season but it’s been a tricky start for them with a scoreless draw away to Aston Villa and then that 3-0 loss against Newcastle on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team drew 1-1 against Tottenham last Friday, Bruno Fernandes sticking home a penalty in the 81st minute to salvage a point. They had trailed in that game since the 27th minute but maybe there’s been enough said already about Steven Bergwijn’s shot, David De Gea’s attempt to stop it and the half-time reaction in the Sky Sports studio.
Here’s your starting teams:
🚨 TEAM NEWS 🚨
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 24, 2020
Here's how the Reds line up for our Old Trafford return — do you like what you see? 👊#MUFC #MUNSHU @DHLManUtd
Here's how the Bladesmen line-up 👊
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) June 24, 2020
Simon Moore starts in goal whilst Phil Jagielka comes in to replace the suspended John Egan.
John Lundstram returns to the middle & Wilder opts for Mousset and McGoldrick up top. pic.twitter.com/p3g8eyMxLu
So the big news for Man United is that Paul Pogba is in from the start and he’ll be joined by Nemanja Matic and Mason Greenwood as fresh inclusions. Scott McTominay, Daniel James and Fred make way.
For the Irish interest there is no John Egan in the Sheffield United starting defence, he’s ruled out due to suspension after that red card on Sunday. Enda Stevens and David McGoldrick both do start though.
Here’s what else is in store this evening on the Premier League agenda:
- Newcastle United v Aston Villa, 6pm
- Norwich City v Everton, 6pm
- Wolves v Bournemouth, 6pm
Right then we’re all set for action, the first game at Old Trafford behind closed doors in this new era for the Premier League.
And Man United get us under way.
Early sight of goal for Mason Greenwood as he got away from the Sheffield United rearguard on the right but they got back to crowd him out in the area.
First corner of the evening for the hosts. Fernandes swings it in from the right aimed at Harry Maguire but Sheffield Utd had that avenue blocked off.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Sheffield United (Martial 7)
Anthony Martial opens the scoring! An opening that certainly caught Sheffield Utd by surprise, Marcus Rashford managed to engineer an opening on the right and blast in a low cross which Martial drilled home. Great start for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.
What a chance to double the advantage! This time it’s Martial leading the break for Man Utd, he draws the keeper and squares it to Rashford, who is admittedly under defensive pressure but really should have found the net there instead of poking a shot wide.
Sheffield Utd had made a bright start but really since then there’s been plenty pressure from the hosts that they’ve had to repel.
Still scoreless in the other three games in the Premier League that kicked off at 6pm. Martial on his own in the goalscoring ranks for the evening’s action.
Fernandes lines a free-kick up on the left and whips in a stinging shot that Simon Moore in goal beats away for a corner. That comes to nothing but no doubt that Man United are pressing here for a second in this first-half action.
The one-way traffic continues. Fernandes and Pogba pulling the strings to invite Rashford to have a shot at goal but he miscues it and doesn’t get a clean connection. Then a corner is clipped in and Maguire bullets a header into the net but he pushes Jagielka out of the way in doing so and it’s rightly disallowed.
Some relief for Sheffield Utd. The water breaks are a new measure since the Premier League resumed and Chris Wilder’s team definitely needed some respite there. They only trail 1-0 but are certainly feeling the pressure.
We’re back under way and it’s Bruno Fernandes again at the heart of Man United’s attacking drive. He’s been excellent so far.
A rare mention of Ireland striker David McGoldrick who hasn’t been supplied too often this evening. Sheffield Utd raid on the left but McGoldrick broke too early and is offside which marks the end of that break for his side.
No news of goals to report from at St James’ Park, Carrow Road and Molineux. Almost a half hour into the action.
A prolonged spell of possession for Sheffield United, finally comes to Lundstram in a central position outside the box. He lets fly but his shot is always rising and never likely to trouble De Gea.
That’s much improved from Sheffield Utd. Enda Stevens is to the fore in that move, involved a few times on the left-hand side of the box and he drills in a low cross that Maguire turns behind for a corner. Nothing comes from that but the play is down the other end for a spell which will please Chris Wilder.
Wilder’s words and a chance to hydrate have paid off so far for Sheffield Utd.
Stevens and Fleck do really well on the left to work a corner for Sheffield Utd. Norwood curls it in with his right but puts far too much on it and it goes harmlessly out of play.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Sheffield United (Martial 43)
It’s Martial again! A really good finish as he drills home a shot with his right from close to the penalty spot. Fernandes and Pogba were involved in the move as play was shifted across the pitch. When it came to Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right, it looked initially as if he’d overrun it but he did superbly to engineer some space and bang in the cross that the French player converted.
That puts a different complexion on this. Sheffield Utd starting to gain a foothold, albeit without creating any clearcut chances, and then the hosts pounce for what looks a crucial second goal.
Half-Time: Manchester United 2-0 Sheffield United
Premier League Half-Time
Man Utd 2-0 Sheffield Utd
Newcastle Utd 0-0 Aston Villa
Norwich City 0-0 Everton
Wolves 0-0 Bournemouth
So Anthony Martial the only player on the mark in the Premier League this evening and Man United in the driving seat. We’ll be back shortly with the second-half action.
Second-half action resumes at Old Trafford.
Two changes for Sheffield Utd at half-time as they try to plot a way back into this one. Oliver Norwood and Lys Mousset have their involvement brought to a close for the evening with Sander Berge and Oliver McBurnie coming in.
A rare good chance to Sheffield Utd. Chris Basham sends in a cross for McBurnie but he can’t make any contact with his header.
Goal! A breakthrough elsewhere as Everton take the lead at Carrow Road through Michael Keane against Norwich City.
Fernandes does brilliantly to find Greenwood in the box, he works his feet and fires in a shot that Jagielka deflects away for a corner. That amounts to nothing but all the pressure again from Man Utd at the moment.
Approaching the hour mark now and hard to envisage a two-goal advantage being overhauled here. That happened when these two met at Bramall Lane back in November. Sheffield Utd ahead 2-0 after 52 minutes and then conceded three goals between the 72nd and 79th minutes. McBurnie was the hero late on to equalise and round off a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Don’t think we’re going to get similar levels of drama here.
Pogba weaves his way into the box and as he seems poised to shoot, Martial decides to intervene and boots it over. The search for the third goal goes on.
Goal! The deadlock is also broken at Molineux, Raul Jimenez netting after Adama Traore filled the role of creator. Wolves lead Bournemouth.
A yellow card for Luke Shaw as he brings down Lundstram. We’ll have a water break shortly, Chris Wilder needs to deliver something special in the motivation stakes.
Goal! Dwight Gayle puts Newcastle Utd ahead 1-0 against Aston Villa.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Sheffield United (Martial 74)
And there’s the hat-trick! It’s a lovely finish by Martial to dink his shot over the goalkeeper but the approach play deserves applause as well. Pogba to Fernandes to Martial to Rashford and back to the French striker. The Fernandes flick was a beautiful one. That’s a first hat-trick for Martial in United colours but no fans there to witness it.
And that settles this game as well. Sheffield United heading for a second 3-0 loss in four days.
Looking like a wave of Man United subs going to enter the action now with just over ten minutes remaining.
And here come those Man United subs:
In – Ighalo, James, McTominay, Mata, Pereira.
Out – Pogba, Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Fernandes.
Goal! El Mohamady hands Aston Villa a lifeline, a late equaliser to leave it 1-1 against Newcastle. Ireland’s Conor Hourihane with the assist.
The match is petering out to an inevitable conclusion at Old Trafford. Man Utd 3-0 up and looking comfortable.
A chance for a fourth for Man United but Ighalo’s touch lets him down after a fine delivery from Shaw.
Full-Time: Manchester United 3-0 Sheffield United
Confirmation of how it finished elsewhere tonight.
Results
- Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa
- Norwich City 0-1 Everton
- Wolves 1-0 Bournemouth
So a fine night’s work for Manchester United in their quest to secure Champions League football next season. The game was a personal triumph as well for Anthony Martial with his first hat-trick for the club.
More action to come, join Gavin Cooney for Liverpool’s latest challenge as they chase Premier League glory, they take on Crystal Palace at 8.15pm.
That’s all from us, thanks for joining. Bye!
