'Absolutely dominant' - What Match of the Day pundits said about Sheffield United's brilliant win over Chelsea
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Two goals for David McGoldrick – his first and second in the Premier League – and another for Oli McBurnie secured a vital three points in the race for a place in Europe, even if the boss is still adamant that particular challenge is not on his radar.
And while it was very much a team effort in seeing off the Blues, it was the front pair of McGoldrick and McBurnie who earned the plaudits on Match of the Day.
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Hide AdFormer Liverpool midfielder-turned-pundit Danny Murphy praised the work-rate of the forwards as United made it 10 points from the last 12 available.
“It was the tenacity and the energy of Sheffield United that created the dominance in the first half and that was personified by the front two,” said Murphy. “They were absolutely brilliant.
"You always need your front players to set the tone, winning it back high up and then of course being a threat in the box. They did early on, they got in there, they played close together, the quality of the balls in was good.”
There had been claims that United might have run out of steam after returning to action following the lockdown, as they struggled to regain that intense, high-velocity football that had become their trademark throughout their first season back in the top flight.
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Hide AdAn unfortunate draw with Aston Villa – with the help of a dreadful error by the officials – was followed up by heavy defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United before an improved performance in dropping out of the FA Cup against Arsenal set the wheels in motion again.
"It's been a good turnaround for Sheffield United, when they came back they were a bit sluggish,” Murphy said. “I saw the game against Manchester United and they were dominated.”
He added: “The scoreline didn't flatter them (against Chelsea), they were absolutely dominant in every area and I think it's credit to Chris Wilder that he's got them back going.”