Sheffield United 2 West Brom 1 - Report

The hosts dominated possession throughout the first half but failed to create anything meaningful as Albion were happy to sit back in their defensive shape.

But only minutes from the break Matt Phillips reacted well to finish from two yards and hand his side the lead.

United came out in the second half with attacking intent and quickly equalised through Jayden Bogle and after Aaron Ramsdale kept them in it with a super stop to deny Callum Robinson, Billy Sharp then gave them the lead.

Albion had more joy in the closing stages of the game but were limited to long balls into the box. United hung on to claim all three points.

Sam Allardyce made three changes to the side that drew with Fulham at the weekend, starting in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Conor Townsend made his first appearance since the reverse fixture against the Blades in November, while Phillips and Mbaye Diagne also came in.

Striker Diagne was making his first start for the club since he sealed his loan from Galatasaray.

Darnell Furlong, Kieran Gibbs and Conor Gallagher all dropped to the bench.

Chris Wilder made two changes to his United side, starting in a 5-3-2 formation.

Former Baggies man Oli Burke and fellow forward Rhian Brewster dropped to the bench as David McGoldrick and Sharp started up front.

Youngsters Zak Brunt and Iliman Ndiaye were among the substitutes as Kyron Gordon and Lys Mousset were not involved in the squad.

In what was a scrappy opening to the game both sides had glimpses at goal. First, Matheus Pereira squandered a good opportunity when he was two-on-two with Diagne in support, but he gave the ball away when the pass was on.

Minutes later Ollie Norwood blasted a free-kick over the bar from the edge of the box before Robinson dragged a shot just wide of the post after a Pereira pass saw him bearing down on goal.

The first save for either goalkeeper was a comfortable one when Sam Johnstone caught a McGoldrick shot that was directed straight at him.

As the hosts continued to pile on the pressure Bogle was almost in on goal when a cross-field pass found him in the box unmarked, but his first touch let him down and allowed Johnstone to collect.

Albion had become settled in their defensive shape by the half-hour mark and rarely threatened going forward. Diagne was isolated up front and was not receiving any decent delivery of the ball.

Robinson almost handed United a gift when his poor control in the box allowed Chris Basham to step in and take the ball, but fortunately for the forward he was able to recover with a last-ditch tackle. Ethan Ampadu then had a curled effort palmed away by Johnstone.

Sharp rose well at the back post to beat Dara O’Shea to the ball but directed his header wide, before Albion went up the other end and took the lead.

Robinson cut inside from the right and his curled effort was initially saved. The ball fell to Diagne who had his scuffed effort saved on the line before Phillips tapped the ball into the empty net from two yards.

The half ended with Albion fortunate to be ahead. The hosts dominated possession but flattered to deceive with no clear-cut chances.

As the sides emerged for the second half the hosts brought on a third striker in Oli McBurnie, replacing midfielder Norwood.

Straight away the Blades were in behind the Baggies as Basham darted into the box on the right with plenty of space. His low cross was flicked by McGoldrick, in the hope of finding a team-mate for a free shot but instead the ball was cleared.

The hosts were firmly knocking on the door in the opening stages of the half, dominating possession and looking for opportunities in front of goal - and just over 10 minutes into the half they found it.

Basham was twisting and turning in the box but struggled to get a shot away and as the ball fell to Bogle he smashed home at the near post to equalise for his side.

Wilder’s men were full of confidence after the goal and were pushing for a second. McBurnie and John Lundstram both had shots blocked from close range in quick succession before Ampadu headed over from a corner at the near post.

Despite their dominance, Albion should have taken the lead again. A perfect low cross from Phillips was met by Robinson but his effort, sliding in at close range, was saved superbly by Ramsdale.

A double change after 68 minutes saw Hal Robson-Kanu and Karlan Grant replace Robinson and Diagne. The latter, on his first Premier League start, had struggled to make an impact.

Again the hosts came close when John Egan met a corner, but he was under pressure from Semi Ajayi and failed to make the right contact.

United’s pressure paid off in the 74th minute when Sharp fired them ahead. The striker latched onto a loose ball in the box and finished low beyond Johnstone.

The result meant Albion fell to their third loss in four games and now sit only one point above the Blades at the foot of the table.

Teams

West Brom: Johnstone, O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, Phillips (Gallagher, 74), Livermore, Snodgrass, Robinson (Grant, 68), Pereira, Diagne (Robson-Kanu, 68)

Subs not used: Button, Furlong, Ivanovic, Peltier, Gibbs, Sawyers.

Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Basham, Egan, Ampadu, Baldock (Lowe, 44), Bogle, Norwood (McBurnie, 45), Lundstram, Fleck, McGoldrick, Sharp (Burke, 86).

Subs not used: Foderingham, Jagielka, Brewster, Bryan, Brunt, Ndiaye.