Louise Taylor was at Bramall Lane. Her report has landed. You know what to do. Enjoy reading that one ... and thanks for reading this one.
Chris Wilder’s verdict. “I’m frustrated with my side. We got into some decent areas. If people think we can open up and go toe to toe with City then they are deluded. We’ve got to find a way to close the gaps on teams who have spent a billion pounds. But when we get into decent positions, we have to look at ourselves and the quality we didn’t show to make them count. That’s the disappointing thing, we have a lot more quality in those areas. But it’s Man City, by the way. I’m realistic.”
Pep’s verdict. “We played very well. We struggled for goals given the chances we created. It was a lot against this team. They had one clear chance, no more than that. It was our third game away in seven days, so we are in a better position now, two games before an international break. I am happy for Kyle Walker that he scored against the one team he loves a lot. He loves this club.” As for Pep’s own boyhood club, who are rumoured to want him back? “I said many times: my period as a manager in Barcelona is over. It’s over. I will come back to watch but it is done.”
The match-winner Kyle Walker, who made his 100th appearance for City today against his boyhood club, speaks to BT Sport. “I’m happy to get on the scoresheet and get the three points. United are well drilled and it’s a tough team to come and break down. But luckily I came up with a goal, through the bodies! My mum and dad live here, so if I celebrated I’d probably get a lot of stick! I’m a Sheffield United fan, so I couldn’t. When I played here for Aston Villa, my first game was here and I scored a rare goal as well, so I seem to like this ground. Hopefully we’ll never know in the future!” A suggestion there that he’d quite like to end his career where it all began, though City fans need not panic quite yet: “I’m enjoying my football and happy to be part of this team.”
FULL TIME: Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City
A thoroughly deserved win for Manchester City. They weren’t at their barnstorming best, but three points at a difficult venue, after an away fixture in Europe, is never to be sniffed at. Kyle Walker, boyhood Sheffield United fan, was the difference. City move into seventh on 11 points; United stay in 19th with just the one.
90 min +2: Foden takes the ball to the corner flag ... but he’s not playing for time. He flicks inside for Sterling, who pulls back to De Bruyne. The resulting shot is blocked at source.
90 min: There will be three added minutes.
89 min: City are seeing this match out in a thoroughly professional fashion. United are causing them no problems at all.
87 min: Gundogan flicks a pass down the right for Sterling, who makes good into the box but can’t find anyone in blue with his low cross. Ransdale smothers for the 100th time this afternoon. The keeper’s had a good game.
85 min: Gundogan comes on for Mahrez. Ederson then hoicks long down the middle. Sterling is free of the last man! But Ramsdale comes to the edge of his box and, uncertain as to whether he can handle or not, dives and heads bravely away from Sterling’s feet. City really must wonder how this is still only 0-1.
84 min: Silva sashays down the inside right, smoothly entering the box and whistling a low shot straight at Ramsdale. A wonderful run that deserved a better finish.
83 min: Foden intercepts Basham’s telegraphed pass and romps down the left. He’s got Sterling in the middle, but Stevens intercepts just in time. City are likely to get a few more chances to pick United off now, with the home side increasingly desperate.
82 min: Both sides make a change. McGoldrick comes on for Lowe, an attacking final throw of the dice by United. City meanwhile replace Torres, who was excellent in the first half, with Foden.
81 min: Mahrez suddenly turns on the jets, but is ushered out of play by Lowe. Fine defending. Goal kick.
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80 min: City continue to perambulate with style.
78 min: City are comfortable. Almost too comfortable. Dias sloppily miscontrols and is fortunate Brewster wasn’t closer and able to take advantage. City stroll on.
76 min: It’s all gone quiet. City appear to have weathered that brief United storm.
74 min: So having said that, De Bruyne releases Sterling down the left with a glorious side-of-foot flick. Sterling dribbles with baroque elegance into the area, nearly working space to shoot at the corner of the six-yard box. He selflessly looks for a partner to tee up, and eventually Ramsdale smothers, with a little bit of pinball luck.
73 min: Cancelo’s work down the left earns City a corner. De Bruyne takes. Some head tennis, and eventually the home side clear. City haven’t looked quite as confident in attack in this second half.
72 min: For all their recent effort, United still haven’t had a shot on target.
71 min: And now Brewster’s sprung clear down the left! He attempts to dink over Ederson from the edge of the box, but the keeper claws a poor effort away. The flag belatedly goes up for offside, sparing the young striker’s blushes.
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70 min: Berge dances his way down the right wing, nutmegging Cancelo along the way. He reaches the byline and cuts back for Lundstram, who leans back and creams a shot towards the top left. It sails inches over the bar, with Ederson nowhere. So close to an equaliser!
68 min: Mahrez nearly dribbles his way out of a cluster of five United defenders. It would have been a hell of an achievement, and he’s one dragback away from working space to shoot, but eventually he’s dispossessed. Full marks for ambition.
67 min: Norwood drifts in from the right and pings a pass to Berge, who storms into the box down the channel. He hammers a low ball across the face of goal. Dias traps and Ederson gathers. That could have gone anywhere. United are beginning to ask a couple of questions down this right wing.
65 min: A second switch of the Blades, as Norwood comes on for Ampadu.
64 min: Not immediately, no. Basham and Baldock both faff around down the right when they’ve got chances to cross. City clear. Meanwhile De Bruyne misplaces a pass when it was easier to slip Torres free down the left. Very out of character.
62 min: Chris Wilder clearly wants his team to pick up the pace. As an Ederson clearance flies out of play, he spikes the ball volleyball style to the nearest player, demanding a quick throw. Will his team respond?
61 min: Basham dribbles down the inside-right channel and slips in Berge on the overlap. Berge wedges to the far stick, where Rodri beats McBurnie to clear.
60 min: City are beginning to dominate again. United can’t get a touch at the minute.
58 min: Mahrez takes instead. His low shot fizzes towards the bottom left. Ramsdale turns it around the post. The corner’s headed clear by McBurnie.
57 min: De Bruyne is dragged down by Stevens. A free kick in KDB Country, just to the right of the D. There was no need for that foul, with Ampadu also in close attendance. This could be costly.
56 min: Lundstram’s contract impasse is set to one side, and he comes on in place of Osborn.
55 min: Walker tries again, reaching the byline and cutting back. De Bruyne, rushing into the box, lashes a low diagonal ball inches wide of the left-hand post. Ramsdale was nowhere. So close to stretching the lead.
54 min: Walker crosses from the right. Egan miskicks wildly. Ramsdale gathers. United don’t look totally comfortable at the back.
52 min: A long pass down the left for Torres, who is clear! Ramsdale rushes out of his box hoping to intercept. Torres gets there first, and tries to whip around the keeper and into the empty net. But the keeper does marvellously well to get back into his area and pluck from the sky, aided by Torres’s slightly weak effort.
50 min: This is better from Berge, a whipped cross from the right touchline, along the corridor of uncertainty. It should be meat and drink for McBurnie, but he’s not made the run. Ederson still hasn’t had his hands warmed.
49 min: Sterling and Cancelo take turns to probe down the left. Baldock and Basham hold them up, but only just.
47 min: Cancelo nudges into McBurnie’s back. It’s a free kick out on the right, and a chance for United to load the box. Berge takes ... and delivers miserably, the ball sailing high into the stand behind. Chris Wilder looks on with a mix of disdain and disgust.
United get the second half underway. No changes. “At half-time, the stadium PA played the Bond theme,” Gary Naylor reports. “Nice touch.”
Half-time entertainment.
HALF TIME: Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City
There’s just enough time for Sterling to accidentally stand on poor Basham’s arm - Sterling goes back to check his opponent is OK, and there are no hard feelings, though that’ll have been a sore one - and the whistle goes for half time. City have been totally dominant and would be out of sight were it not for Ramsdale, but there were signs of growing United confidence in the last few minutes of the half. All set up nicely for the second half. A couple of big team-talks coming up!
45 min: Basham, Berge and Baldock ping a few increasingly confident triangles down the right. They can’t work the space for a cross, but it’s a spell of possession in City territory that’ll give them succour for the second half.
43 min: A dismal ball to nobody by Mahrez is intercepted by Berge and swung wide right to Baldock, who powers down the right, reaching the byline. He digs out a cross ... but there’s too much on it and flies harmlessly over everyone in the box.
41 min: Cancelo swans past Berge down the left and crosses long. The ball drops to the dangerous Torres, on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box. Torres tries to steer a volley across Ramsdale and into the bottom left, but Stevens blocks.
40 min: The rain’s stopped and the sun’s out!
39 min: Berge finds a little bit of space down the right. He whips a cross towards Brewster, who has found a pocket in the middle. Not sure where Laporte and Dias are. But the cross is a little too high, and Brewster can only get the tops of his eyebrows onto the ball. A little lower and that would have been one hell of a chance.
37 min: Ampadu takes down Silva on the right. De Bruyne swings the free kick into the mixer. Torres flicks on. There’s a deflection out for a corner on the left. That’s worked long for Mahrez on the right. Mahrez reaches the byline but runs the ball out for a goal kick. City must be wondering how they’ve only got the one goal to show for their efforts.
36 min: The second corner, from the right, is easily cleared. De Bruyne threatens to counter and is stopped by a fine last-ditch sliding tackle by Baldock.
35 min: Lowe works down the left and wins United’s first corner. It’s hit long. Baldock wins a header at the far post. It pings off Walker and out for a second corner.
34 min: Berge is the only player in the United wall to jump. De Bruyne fires the free kick low under him, towards the bottom left. Ramsdale does extremely well to read the surprise effort and smother.
33 min: De Bruyne curves a pass down the left for Sterling, who lays off for Torres. The striker is clumsily blocked by Egan, and this is a free kick in De Bruyne Territory, just to the left of the D.
32 min: Ederson, by contrast, has had the square root of bugger all to do.
30 min: Ramsdale got a fingertip to Walker’s shot, which also took a slight deflection off Osborn, and was skidding on the wet turf. Full marks for effort; the odds were simply stacked against him.
GOAL! Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City (Walker 28)
This had been coming. Sterling dribbles down the left but can’t quite get clear. So he switches play to Walker on the right. Walker takes a touch, and threads a low diagonal heatseeker into the bottom left from 20 yards! That’s one hell of a precision strike. He doesn’t celebrate against his boyhood club, though.
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26 min: City are coming at United from all angles. De Bruyne steams down the right and whips into the middle. Egan does extremely well to extend a leg and belt clear. City come again, Dias passing long down the right to release Torres, who is one on one with Ramsdale. The keeper spreads himself. Torres passes infield to nobody, and Stevens clears. The flag goes up for offside anyway.
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24 min: Mahrez hoicks over from distance. City are piling on the pressure. Meanwhile this weather is becoming biblical.
23 min: An astonishing close-range stop by Ramsdale! Sterling is flicked free down the left by Rodri. He reaches the byline and rolls the ball across the face of the goal, nutmegging Egan in the process. Torres flicks the ball powerfully goalward at the near post. Ramsdale gets in the way, saving with his chest, then smothers. The keeper’s made three great saves already.
21 min: McBurnie worms his way down the right and forces a throw deep in City territory. There’s nobody around to Delap the ball into the mixer, though, and the move that develops from Baldock’s short throw soon peters out.
19 min: Rodri powers in from the left and shoots from the best part of 30 yards. The rising ball swerves around dramatically, and Ramsdale makes a meal of palming over his bar, before rubbing the rainwater from his eyes. Nothing comes of the corner.
18 min: It really is tipping down in Sheffield.
17 min: Mahrez loops one in from the right. Ramsdale punches powerfully clear. This is a little bit scrappy. United won’t mind too much.
15 min: City fail to clear their lines and Lowe is able to drive into their box on the left. He’s forced to turn tail and loses possession. City go up the other end, De Bruyne nearly releasing Sterling down the left, but Egan sticks out a telescopic leg to guide the ball back to Ramsdale. Had he not made contact, Sterling was in on goal. What an intervention!
14 min: The pitch is pretty sodden, though it doesn’t appear to be hindering City’s trademark passing game.
13 min: The corner’s flashed towards the near post, where Laporte slams a first-time shot inches past the left-hand post. Very close to the opening goal.
12 min: City get metronomic. Suddenly De Bruyne and Sterling combine down the inside-left channel. Sterling reaches the byline and wins a corner off Egan.
11 min: United haven’t shown much up front yet. McBurnie wins a couple of long balls, but can’t find Brewster. Berge scuttles down the right but is ushered out of play easily enough by Cancelo.
9 min: City have enjoyed 80 percent of possession so far. A pattern set early doors, I’ll be bound.
8 min: Cancelo swings in from the left. It’s a juicy cross, and met well by Torres, who flashes a header towards the top right. Ramsdale palms away at full stretch, a very decent reflex save. Mahrez tries to keep the move going, latching onto the loose ball on the right, but his cross is no good.
6 min: City continue to dominate possession, albeit to little effect.
4 min: City quickly settle into their pretty passing patterns. Mahrez tries to spring Torres free down the inside-right channel but puts too much weight on the ball and it’s a goal kick.
2 min: Dias will have felt that one. Keep punching, Chris Wilder said. A statement of intent.
Nine seconds: McBurnie sticks a power-shoulder into the chest of Dias, who is clattered to the floor. Oof! Ooyah! Welcome to Bramall Lane.
Manchester City get the match underway ... but not before the players take a knee. Black lives matter. There’s no room for racism.
The Last Post. Remembrance of the fallen ... and memories of Nobby Stiles, who passed away yesterday. The players will wear black armbands to honour the 1966 World Cup winner.
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The teams are out! United wear their red and white stripes, while City sport first-choice sky blue. Both shirts feature poppies in remembrance of the fallen. It’s extremely rainy and windy in Sheffield this lunchtime. No pre-match word from Chris Wilder, though BT Sport carried an interview in which he promised his team will “keep punching”. The bell rings in a minute or two.
Here’s Sid Lowe on the man leading Manchester City’s line today.
Pep’s pre-match pow-wow. “We have to be more consistent in many games to make sure we are on the right path. It is not easy to attack a defence with five at the back and a lot of people in the middle. For the striker it is most difficult. Ferran Torres did really well [against Marseille] and we try again. We know the quality of Sheffield United. The position in the table is what it is, but we know the quality two seasons ago in the Championship and last season in the Premier League, so we have no doubts. We are in the beginning of the season and they are going to get results in the future.”
Sheffield United make one change from the XI that lost narrowly at Anfield. Max Lowe replaces John Lundstram in midfield. Lundstram, who has refused to sign a new contract, drops to the bench.
Manchester City make three changes to the team that breezed past Marseille in midweek. Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez come in for Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden, all of whom are on the bench. Kevin De Bruyne makes his first league start since the draw at Leeds four weeks ago. Sergio Aguero remains out with a hamstring injury.
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The teams
Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Basham, Egan, Stevens, Baldock, Berge, Ampadu, Osborn, Lowe, Brewster, McBurnie.
Subs: Lundstram, Sharp, Burke, Norwood, McGoldrick, Robinson, Verrips.
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Laporte, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Torres, Sterling.
Subs: Stones, Ake, Gundogan, Zinchenko, Carson, Foden, Garcia.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
Preamble
It’s way too early to be panicking. Even so, both teams could do with a positive result this afternoon. Sheffield United still don’t have a victory to their name this season, and they’re currently second bottom, but it’s not as though they’ve been playing particularly badly: it wouldn’t have needed too much to change last Saturday at Anfield for the Blades to have taken all three points off the champions. They haven’t beaten Manchester City in the league since 2000, but breaking that run is far from a pipe dream, given City’s uncertain display at West Ham last week, and the way Chris Wilder’s side made them work for a single-goal victory here last season.
As for City? They won’t be desperate for victory ... but potentially slipping further behind the leading pack won’t appeal. Pep Guardiola’s men are again coming off the back of an excellent result in Europe, this time a comfortable 3-0 stroll in Marseille, but their domestic form hasn’t sparkled quite as brightly, and they haven’t won away in the Premier League since the opening day at Wolves. They’re favourites to prevail here ... though if they ship the opening goal things could get interesting, because City have failed to win any of their last seven away matches in which they’ve fallen behind.
The table’s set for a delicious lunchtime treat, then ... with both a United and City win more than possible, plus everything in between. It’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm GMT.
