Trailing 2-1 at the start of the second half, Manchester United rallied to defeat Sheffield United 4-2 at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. Bruno Fernandes netted a hat-trick, while Harry Maguire and substitute Rasmus Hojlund also found the back of the net for the hosts. Jayden Bogle and Ben Brereton Diaz had given the Blades a two-goal lead, but United fought back to claim all three points.
Fernandes leveled the score from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after Bogle had given the visitors a shock lead early on. Brereton Diaz restored Sheffield United’s advantage just six minutes later, but Fernandes equalized again in the 73rd minute. The Portuguese midfielder completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute, before Hojlund added a fourth for United in the 86th minute.
The victory takes United up to fourth in the Premier League table, while Sheffield United remain bottom of the standings.
Despite the win, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be concerned by his team’s defensive performance. The Red Devils were shaky at the back throughout the game and were fortunate not to concede more goals.
However, Fernandes’ hat-trick will have given ten Hag some much-needed respite. The Portuguese midfielder has now scored 10 goals in all competitions this season and is United’s leading scorer.
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom will be disappointed with the result, but he will take some solace from his team’s performance. The Blades were well-organized and disciplined for much of the game and caused United plenty of problems.
However, they were ultimately unable to hold on to their lead and now face a tough task to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
