Sheffield United whimpered to relegation after last season’s Premier League campaign – they were down with plenty of games to go.
It looked like this season in the Championship was going to be a hangover from last season. After their opening five games, the Blades were blunt and winless with just two points to their name.
There was nothing blunt about their performance today against Peterborough United at Bramall Lane. In fact, everything about it was sharp.
It was a 6-2 hammering of a dejected Peterborough side that saw them rise to 18th in the table.
Outgunned Posh blown away by impressive Blades
The scoreline itself is evidence enough of just how good Sheffield United were on the day; 6-2 tells no lies.
There were excellent performances across the pitch by United players. Veteran striker Billy Sharp didn’t get on the scoresheet but did add a hat-trick of assists.
On the goal front Ilinan Ndiaye and Ben Osborn both hit braces against a reeling Posh outfit who went in at the halfway point of the game on level terms.
All of those are headline figures, but there are other things under the surface that helped the Blades on their way to such an emphatic victory.
Three things that helped Sheffield United dominate Peterborough on Saturday
You don’t beat a side by a 6-2 scoreline by luck alone. A lot of things come together to help push domination to that degree.
Here are three things that helped Sheffield United overpower Darren Ferguson’s side:
Possession: Sheffield United had 68.3% of the ball in the defeat of Peterborough United, taking 836 touches across the game. That level of possession not only leaves the opposition living off scraps but also severely limits the threat that they pose.
Building from the back: Sheffield United’s defenders turned possession into an almost unceasing stream of completed passes. The entire Blades team completed 592 passes against Peterborough United. Individually, Rhys Norrington-Davies had 89 completed passes, Jack Egan 74, Jack Robinson 71 and George Baldock 56. As a unit, Sheffield United’s back four completed 290 passes – 49% of the team’s total.
Working shooting opportunities: Teams under pressure make mistakes and Peterborough United did just that. They couldn’t cope with wave after wave of Sheffield United pressure as the Blades teed off at the Posh goal almost at will. Across the match, Slavisa Jokanovic’s side took 24 shots with nine of these being on target. That sort of pressure proved too much for Peterborough to cope with.
Thoughts?
Sheffield United’s performance today against a shellshocked Peterborough outfit was as dominant a performance as you’ll see this season in the Championship.
It came against a Posh side that are no mugs and is a dangerous outfit in their own right. However, they didn’t have the chance to show that danger.
Peterborough were simply washed away under the deluge of pressure from a very capable Sheffield United side. If they play like that more often, many sides will suffer Peterborough’s fate.
Data derived from WhoScored.com’s match profile – Sheffield United vs Peterborough United.
