Read Richard Jolly’s match report
Next stop: St James’ Park
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Full time: Burnley 1-1 Sheffield United
Peep peep! An honourable draw at Turf Moor, with two excellent goals from centre-backs. James Tarkowski reacted superbly to slide Burnley into the lead at half-time; John Egan’s adroit half-volley gave Sheffield United a deserved point.
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90+3 min McNeil’s corner is cleared by Rodwell.
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90+2 min A cracking low drive from Pieters is pushed behind by the diving Henderson. It was going wide but Henderson took no chances.
90 min Four minutes of added time.
90 min Stevens wins yet another corner for Sheffield United. Osborn’s outswinger is headed up in the air by Tarkowski, who follows the loose ball and heads it even further away.
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89 min The free-kick is taken short to Berge, who spins and smacks a good shot that is patted down by Pope and claimed at the second attempt.
88 min Long commits a silly foul on Mousset just outside the area on the left. This is a chance for United...
87 min Sheffield United look the likelier winners, but then so did England against Romania in 1998. I haven’t a clue what is going to happen in the last few minutes, is what I’m saying.
86 min “Hello Rob,” says George Meikle. “My thought is that the players still get to hear their name over the system, and this provides a psychological boost. And players need all boosts available in an empty park.”
Especially if they are being taken off after 20 minutes.
85 min Both sides would be happy enough with this result, I suspect. Burnley because of all their injuries; Sheffield United because their away form has been dismal.
84 min “Re the Tannoy, it’s partly for evacuation etc purposes and partly so the regular announcer gets paid,” says Gary Naylor. “A good thing I reckon.”
83 min That’s Sheffield United’s first away goal since the restart and their first in the league since 1 February.
82 min “Hi Rob,” says Tom Dale. “As a fan of Burnley I am well aware that this Premier League stint will not last for ever. As such, I find it really annoying when pundits lazily question how much the club and its fans really want to be in Europe next year. Knowing that in ten years (if that…) the chances are we will be playing Rotherham United twice a year, nothing would make me happier than being able to watch Burnley on a Thursday night losing 2-1 to HNK Hajduk Split. Even if it did greatly increase the chances of us getting relegated.”
It came from a short corner on the right. Osborn’s floated ball into the area was headed on by Sharp towards Egan, who rifled a majestic half-volley into the top corner from a tight angle. That was some finish, especially for a centre half.
GOAL! Burnley 1-1 Sheffield United (Egan 80)
Sheffield United get a deserved equaliser!
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79 min “Every game I’ve seen has had the announcer state the goalscorer or substitutions to an empty stadium,” says Craig. “Why?”
Good question. For the media? For the self-worth of a lonely tannoy operator?
77 min: McNeil misses a great chance! Rodriguez took the ball down on the chest, 25 yards from goal, and bulleted a shot that almost knocked Henderson off his feet. He could only beat it straight to McNeil, who drove just wide of the far post. He should have scored.
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75 min Sheffield United make their final substitution. Jack Rodwell - yep - is on for Chris Basham. It’s his first Premier League appearance in three years, apparently, and means a switch to a back four.
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72 min Berge’s floated cross is too deep for Sharp. Sheffield United, for all their possession, are struggling to create clear chances. Burnley’s defence, which is without Ben Mee, has been outstanding.
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71 min A Sheffield United change, with Lys Mousset replacing McBurnie. I missed a Burnley substitution a couple of minutes ago. Vydra off, Chris Wood on.
70 min Rodriguez’s shot on the turn from the edge of the area drifts well wide.
68 min Time for a drinks break. The pattern of the match is set, with Burnley pinned in their own half.
65 min Burnley’s next game is at West Ham on Wednesday. Sheffield United host Wolves the very same night.
62 min United move the ball smoothly from right to left. The overlapping O’Connell’s cross takes a deflection and loops right across the the face of goal, just in front of the leaping Sharp.
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60 min Sheffield United have been the better team since half time, as they were for most of the first half, but Burnley look so solid defensively. If it stays like this it’ll be their third consecutive 1-0 win.
56 min O’Connell accidentally heads the ball onto his own arm inside the Sheffield United area. No penalty, presumably because of the original touch with his head. I haven’t a clue any more, I’ll be honest. The meaning of life is easier to understand than the laws of football.
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55 min A double change for Sheffield United: Billy Sharp and the returning Jack O’Connell replace Robinson and Norwood.
54 min Bardsley’s long free-kick is headed down neatly by Vydra to find Pieters, who hits the bouncing ball well wide from 20 yards.
51 min Nothing to report in the last few minutes.
47 min “I believe taking the knee is right and was done for the right reasons - on the opening day of the restart,” says Richard Summers. “But with every repetition, like clapping the NHS, it slightly loses its power and becomes obviously much more about PR than anything else. Do we know how long this will continue?”
No, though I suspect it will continue until the end of the season. And then what, I have no idea.
46 min A fierce long-range shot from McGoldrick hits the head of Tarkowski and loops across the area to Baldock. He cushions a volleyed cross into the six-yard box but there are no United players there.
46 min Peep peep! Burnley begin the second half.
VAR watch Replays show that United should have had a penalty for that handball by Pieters in the 11th minute. He missed an attempted clearance and the ball hit his hand, which was in an unnatural position because of the momentum he put into the attempt to clear. The law is an ass, but that doesn’t change the fact it was a penalty.
Half-time reading
Half time: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United
Peep peep! United dominated much of the first half but Burnley were resolute and nicked the lead just before half-time through James Tarkowski.
44 min Chris Wilder might have a few effs and jeffs for Oli McBurnie at half-time. It was a basic loss of concentration that allowed Tarkowski to score.
GOAL GIVEN! McNeil’s excellent free-kick from deep on the left was headed on by Rodriguez and finished with aplomb by the sliding Tarkowski. He got the wrong side of his marker McBurnie, and replays showed he was just onside.
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GOAL! Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United (Tarkowski 43)
This may be ruled out for offside.
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42 min “Hi Rob,” says Chris Collinson. “Wondered who you think is the clubhouse leader in the now clearly audible ‘Effing and Jeffing’ stakes? Chris Wilder seems to have posted some quite blue language recently and would be my pick.”
I haven’t really noticed as I tend to watch games with crowd noise. But I’m glad to hear Chris Wilder has been making a few earthy observations; he’d have been my pick, along with Sean Dyche, Jurgen Klopp and maybe Nigel Pearson.
40 min Robinson’s fast, flat cross is flicked just over the bar by McBurnie at the near post. It was a decent effort; all he could really do was help the ball on and hope for the best.
39 min “I agree with everything David Wall said,” says Joshua Reynolds. “However, the fact that here in the USA taking a knee was such a huge deal and we haven’t had any sports start again, it will be interesting to see what happens when the games do resume. Kneeling for BLM/against police killings is something that was so taboo and how will it be handled when it’s just done as a matter of course in other countries/sports? I have no idea but I’m glad that’s the position we’re in.”
38 min Baldock shows good pace to stop Vydra reaching Pieters’ through pass. Moments later, Bardsley’s swirling long-range shot is beaten away by Henderson.
37 min “And to strengthen the evidence for that, Richard Masters said that the reason why the PL were allowing players to support Black Lives Matter but not other causes was that this was a moral rather than a political issue,” says David Wall. “What nonsense. It’s obviously both a moral and political issue (as many things are). Trying to force distinction here just shows the insincerity.”
I have a little sympathy for them, in that they will be heavily criticised whatever they do, but I agree that PR feels like the main consideration.
35 min Norwood’s superb inswinging corner is headed over from five yards by Egan. He was just in front of the ball, which meant he had to leap backwards and couldn’t keep the header on target.
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33 min Norwood’s first-time cross is headed over by Berge at the near post. It wasn’t the easiest chance because the ball was slightly behind him.
32 min Burnley enjoy an extended spell of possession for the first time in the match. Nothing comes of it, but it’s the thought that counts.
28 min Burnley have been a bit more positive in the last few minutes, which suggests that Sean Dyche imparted some gravel-voiced wisdom during the drinks break.
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23 min Time for the drinks break.
22 min Stevens’ shot hits Bardsley and deflects wide of the near post for Sheffield United’s fifth corner. This one is claimed comfortably by Pope.
21 min “Hi Rob,” says David Wall. “Does anyone else have mixed feelings about the players and officials taking a knee at the kick-off? It seems to have become built into the pre-match rituals, and it risks becoming no more significant that the pre-match handshakes (that they aren’t allowed to do anymore). This is in no way a criticism of the players (who I think are sincere) or the cause that it is supporting. But the main problem that needs addressing is not so much particular racist incidents (like abuse from the crowd, etc), but structural discrimination in almost every institution and system in the country (including football). And we know that the Premier League is doing pretty much nothing to address that in their competition.
“There are no plans to introduce something like the Rooney Rule, which is already in place in the EFL, and I think the coaching experience scheme that was announced last week was an FA project rather than the PL. So the Premier League allowing everyone to endorse Black Lives Matter seems little more than the virtue-signaling that we are cynical about when done by various huge companies sending out a tweet but making no other changes.”
Yep, I pretty much agree with all of this. It’s such a complicated subject, changing an entrenched culture, but the response to BLM already feels like a bit of a fad.
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19 min Westwood’s deep free-kick is miscontrolled by the stretching Tarkowski at the far post. It wasn’t an easy ball to trap because of the bounce, but it was still a chance.
18 min Sheffield United continue to dominate, and Burnley are struggling to get out. Osborn combines nicely with McGoldrick on the left and curls a terrific ball that bounces just in front of Egan at the far post. Pope read it well and allowed the ball to go past both him and Egan.
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14 min I’d like to see that VAR check again. There were two appeals, the first when Pieters missed his clearance and the ball hit his arm, and the second when Egan’s shot was blocked. I don’t think the Pieters incident was a penalty, but the brief replay of the second suggested there might have been a handball.
12 min McBurnie has made a brilliant start to the game. We know all about his power but he has also produced two or three very subtle touches.
11 min There’s a VAR check for handball after Egan’s shot is blocked on the line. No penalty.
10 min At the other end, McBurnie gets round the back on the right and cuts the ball back to Berge, whose shot is crucially blocked by Long on the six-yard line.
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9 min: Vydra misses an excellent chance! That was a lovely break from Burnley. McNeil found Rodriguez, who pushed the ball out to Pieters on the left. He played it first time through to Vydra, who took the ball in his stride and rolled it just wide of the far post. He should have scored.
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9 min Anyone out there? Any good stories or observations from Asymptomatic Saturday?
7 min A corner to Sheffield United. The wind will make set-pieces even more dangerous today. Norwood’s inswinging swirls a bit and is headed away in the six-yard box.
4 min: Disallowed goal! Robinson’s long, swirling throw is dropped by Pope and put into the net by Berge. Thankfully for Burnley, the referee had penalised McBurnie for his challenge on Pope.
4 min It’s been a really confident start from Sheffield United, who look a different team after that excellent win over Spurs.
1 min McBurnie almost scores after 57 seconds! He ran onto McGoldrick’s neat flick and drove a low first-time shot that was kicked away by Pope.
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1 min Peep peep! Sheffield United, in white, kick off from right to left. Burnley are in claret and blue.
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It’s a wild, windy day at Turf Moor, which is the best possible excuse to post this clip. Watch it, it’s worth it.
Reasons to love Burnley, part 12 in an ongoing series
This is their walk-on music.
Pre-match reading
Team news
Jay Rodriguez returns to the Burnley side, while Chris Wood is fit enough for the bench. But Ben Mee and Jack Cork are both out through injury. Sheffield United are unchanged from the team that beat Spurs on Thursday.
Burnley (4-4-2) Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Long, Taylor; McNeil, Brownhill, Westwood, Pieters; Rodriguez, Vydra.
Substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, Dunne, Thomas, Gudmundsson, Brady, Goodridge, Benson, Wood, Thompson.
Sheffield United (3-5-2) Henderson; Basham, Egan, Robinson; Baldock, Berge, Norwood, Osborn, Stevens; McBurnie, McGoldrick.
Substitutes: Moore, O’Connell, Jagielka, K Freeman, Rodwell, Sharp, Mousset, Zivkovic.
Referee Peter Bankes.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Burnley v Sheffield United from Turf Moor, the first of f-o-u-r live games today. This match is 10th v 8th, which reflects the admirable overachievement of both these teams. Sean Dyche and Chris Wilder do the kind of work that doesn’t garner likes, retweets, thumbs up or whatever constitutes recognition in 2020. That makes their achievements - only Jurgen Klopp has outperformed them this season - even more impressive.
We take it for granted, but it’s pretty staggering that these teams are part of a sandwich that also contains Arsenal, Spurs and Everton. If Sheffield United win today they will become the Hovis in that sandwich, leapfrogging Arsenal to go seventh. A win for Burnley would move them above United and up to eighth. This is not normal, new or otherwise, and both teams deserve a bit more credit, like.
Kick off 12pm.
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