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Sheffield United embodying Arsenal spirit with amazing record that dwarfs promotion rivals
Arsenal’s remarkable propensity for single-goal wins towards the end of George Graham’s tenure at Highbury made the chant “1-0, to the Arsenal” popular - and Sheffield United are embodying that spirit this season as they look to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Sunday’s victory by that very scoreline in the Steel City derby at Hillsborough took the Blades back level with Leeds at the top of the Championship.
It was also the Blades’ 15th single-goal win this term, and their 10th by one goal to nil. Leeds and Burnley, the other team in the automatic promotion shake-up after Sunderland fell away, have registered 14 wins by one goal between them. It’s a remarkable record, especially considering how defensively solid Scott Parker’s Burnley have been, with United’s possessing that brilliant but intangible habit that promotion teams usually possess - they know how to win games of football.
That pragmatism has been mistaken for poor performances in some quarters but Sunday’s derby encapsulated both teams’ seasons in a nutshell. Multiple regular observers of Wednesday predicted the pattern before kick-off - a fast start, much of the play, some good chances squandered before an inevitable setback.
United’s display was not out of the blue either; riding the opposition storm, big players producing big performances in big moments and then putting everything into protecting the lead when it came. That is not to detract from their abilities; if anything it is a quality perhaps appreciated more outside the confines of South Yorkshire.
This week, EFL expert Benjamin Bloom waxed lyrical about the Blades’ victory. “It was typical, emotional, cagey derby day fare, wasn’t it?” he said. “And they get the job done. I’m going to say the same thing I say every time Sheffield United win by a single goal.
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“Count them up. Absolutely brilliant. Fifteen single-goal wins for Sheffield United this season. That is eight wins out of nine away from home for the Blades as well, and in the Championship this year they have won 10 games 1-0. We’ve got them pegged, we’ve got this narrative sorted. Sheffield United are a winning machine. They get the job done.”
That particular United record could have been even better, after they were pegged back in the last minute against Bristol City in midweek just days before travelling to Hillsborough and drawing 1-1. That hammer blow, combined with a comeback win for the Owls at Norwich on the same evening, saw the home side enter the game as favourites with some bookmakers before Rhian Brewster’s second-half finish sealed six points from six for the Blades over their biggest rivals this season.
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“There are loads of tight games, aren't there?” said Wilder afterwards. “There aren't many games in the division that are three, four or five nil, especially at this stage of the season. They're outstanding sides and there are a lot of good sides at the top trying to get into the play-offs. A lot that have been in the Premier League, your Norwichs and West Broms and other teams.
“And there are some spending a lot of dough to try and get into that group as well. Them coming off te back of two wins, that would have buoyed them and everything was against us today in terms of that. But we kept our cool, we didn't do a lot of talking and I did a lot of listening and observing after Tuesday night.
“I was delighted with the place we were in before the game. They really wanted to come here and get a result. Football isn't about anybody's journey individually, it's about winning games of football. We're here to win.
“People want to see a winning side, I think. I think things have maybe drifted a bit, with people talking about style and this, that and the other. But we've won games of football. And we've got to win some more between now and the end of the season if we want to achieve what we want to achieve.”