Manchester United 4-2 Sheffield United: A double from Fernandes propels the Red Devils to victory

Manchester United defeated Sheffield United 4-2 at Old Trafford thanks to two crucial goals from Bruno Fernandes, relieving pressure on under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.

After his side gave away a 3-0 lead against Coventry City on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-final—a match that ended in a 3-3 draw—Ten Hag faced harsh criticism.

On Wednesday, his team fell down twice; Harry Maguire equalized first, then Ben Brereton Diaz scored the second goal for the Blades after Jayden Bogle took advantage of a mistake by Andre Onana.

But in the second half, Fernandes equalized from the penalty spot and set up Rasmus Hojliund’s late goal after the Red Devils captain’s incredible shot put his team ahead 3-2.

With 53 points after the victory, Ten Hag’s team moves up to the top six, surpassing Newcastle United, while Sheffield United, the worst team, is still 10 points outside of safety.

Diogo Dalot worked Wes Foderingham from range with only 28 seconds remaining, but the hosts were wrong to believe that attempt would spark an attack on the Blades goal.

After a wild run, Foderingham denied Alejandro Garnacho, but the Red Devils looked mainly uninspired as the visitors relaxed.

Following thirty-five minutes, they gave Sheffield United the lead when Bogle scored with a sidefooted shot at the near post following Onana’s feed.

But it spurred Ten Hag’s squad into action, and when Maguire flicked Garnacho’s cross home, they were level seven minutes later.

At the close of halftime, Foderingham produced a brilliant save to deny Garnacho. Five minutes after the break, Sheffield United capitalized on the break as Brereton Diaz pounced to head Ben Osborn’s cross home.

However, Auston Trusty dragged Maguire to the ground from a corner, enabling Fernandes to rocket into the top-left corner from the spot. Chris Wilder’s team was once again unable to cling on.

After that, Fernandes scored his first goal for Ten Hag’s team from 25 yards out. The midfield player did not stop there, setting up Hojlund for a precise cross from the right to secure the victory.

Red Devils are saved by Fernandes.

Manchester United had only won one of their previous seven Premier League games (three draws and three losses) coming into Wednesday’s encounter. They had also gone winless over the past four of those games (three draws and one loss), which was their worst run since 2019.

Twice, it seemed as if they would suffer a crushing loss, but Fernandes took the lead to upset the Blades and increase his team’s chances of qualifying for the Europa League.

Including goals in his past four games, he has now scored seven goals in his last six Premier League appearances. He has only had a four-game scoring run with the Red Devils in the competition twice, the first occasion being under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in February 2021.

Blades at the edge

Although Sheffield United’s performance at Old Trafford gives them optimism, the outcome has little bearing on their narrow chances of staying in the top division in England.

With only 12 games remaining in the season, Wilder’s team is 10 points from safety and would drop to the Championship if they lose against Newcastle United this Saturday.

With a win this weekend, the Blades’ destiny may even be sealed, contingent on Nottingham Forest’s performance against Manchester City on Sunday.

They have now let up 92 goals in 34 Premier League games this season, which is the highest ever given up in a 38-game season in the league.