Sheffield United’s early season form in the Sky Bet Championship saw them mirror their Premier League relegation form. Thankfully, for Blades fans, that seems to have turned around.
Sheffield United fans are seeing the green shoots of improvement start to blossom. The South Yorkshire side are on four-game unbeaten run. Three consecutive wins sees the Blades in 10th place in the Championship table – a surge completed under new boss Paul Heckingbottom.
Game Details
Heckingbottom’s Sheffield side had the most of the first-half possession (56.7%) and created more chances (7) than did Steve Morison’s Cardiff City outfit. However, the tale of the half-time tape saw the Welsh side 1-0 ahead courtesy of Mark Harris (36′).
The opening salvos of the second period saw Sean Morrison (52′) sent off with a straight red. A man down, Cardiff struggled as United upped their intensity. Loanee Morgan Gibbs-White (61′) equalised before a quickfire double from veteran Billy Sharp (73′) and David McGoldrick (75′) gave the Blades a 3-1 lead.
There was enough time at the end for the Bluebirds to grab a late goal (90′) through Mark McGuinness. Although they pressed, it was Sheffield United who left the Cardiff City Stadium with all three points in the bag.
READ: ‘Class above’, ‘Masterclass’ – Many Sheffield United fans hail one player’s performance v Cardiff City
Here are three Sheffield United players who stood out in hard-fought win against Cardiff City.
Morgan Gibbs-White – WhoScored rating 9.13
With a goal and two assists, there was little doubt that the 21-year-old Wolves loanee was going to top the Blades ratings. However, his game was much more than this. He was accurate (75%) with his distribution and three of his 33 completed passes led to teammate chances. He was also a threat all game, showing this with three completed dribbles. A more than solid performance where Gibbs-White continued to demonstrate his class and potential.
David McGoldrick – WhoScored rating 8.12
Veteran McGoldrick scored the Blades’ last goal of the game; it was his 2nd of the season. His overall game was much more than this single contribution. He was highly accurate (79%) with his distribution – 30 of his 38 passes finding their intended target. He also completed both his dribbles as well as a clearance and an interception.
Billy Sharp – WhoScored rating 7.35
Blades striker Sharp continues to put in the performances for the South Yorkshire outfit. His goal yesterday was his 6th of the season to go with his six assists. Alongside that single strike, Sharp weighed in with seven completed passes – one of which created a chance for a teammate. It was a performance where he continued to roll back the years.
Data derived from the Cardiff City vs Sheffield United match profile on the WhoScored website.
