- Sheffield United were relegated after losing 5-1 to Newcastle on Saturday
- Not even the financial mismanagement of their rivals could save Sheffield
- Arne Slot needs to be his own manager. Replacing Jurgen Klopp is an impossible job. Don’t try to emulate him – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off! podcast
Sheffield United are relegated, and the league table would have you believe it was they who’d suffered the points deduction.
Not even the financial mismanagement of their rivals could save them after this sorry season. Only three teams in Premier League history have finished with less than the 16 points they have, and with three games to go you cannot see them adding to their tally.
Not after a game in which they emerged for the first half with a fighting spirit, only to come out after half-time with a white flag.
The score was 1-1 after 45 minutes and that was flattering for Newcastle. The Toon Army looked like a bunch of plodders in the first half. They quickened that to a march in the second, aided by the baffling surrender of Chris Wilder’s Blades, who had been so dangerous to that point.
The overriding emotion for Eddie Howe would have been relief – they should have trailed by at least two at the interval – but perhaps for Wilder there will be a sense of comfort, too. Relief that the inevitable, as he called it on Friday, is finally confirmed.
Sheffield United (pictured above) are relegated, and the league table would have you believe it was they who’d suffered the points deduction
Only three teams in Premier League history have finished with less than the 16 points they have, and with three games to go you cannot see them adding to their tally
Not even the financial mismanagement of their rivals could save them after this sorry season
They were blown away by European-chasing Newcastle, whose striker Alexander Isak scored twice to move within one of Cole Palmer at the top of the league’s scoring charts. For all the talk of £100million offers for Bruno Guimaraes – he was also on target – it is Isak who would command a greater fee.
The Swede might have wished he was playing for Sheffield in the first half, however. Newcastle picked up where they left off at Crystal Palace on Wednesday – slow and sleepy – and it was no surprise when they fell behind within five minutes.
Sheffield worked a corner short and, when Gustavo Hamer hoisted a ball to the far post, there were three yellow jerseys queuing up to connect. It was defender Anel Ahmedhodzic who bustled his way to the front and headed through Martin Dubrvaka.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder was seen shouting at his players throughout the game
The score was 1-1 after 45 minutes and that was flattering for Newcastle (pictured above)
They were blown away by European-chasing Newcastle, whose striker Alexander Isak scored twice to move within one of Cole Palmer at the top of the league’s scoring charts
Howe said following the 2-0 defeat at Palace that his players had seemed reluctant to shoot, and it was the same here. It was only when Isak took responsibility and slammed first time into the bottom corner from Jacob Murphy’s throughball that they had parity, although it was barely deserved.
Come half-time, Newcastle’s Dan Burn had twice made goalmouth blocks to prevent certain goals. Was the great escape on? By the time the hosts smashed their fifth through Callum Wilson on 72 minutes, the only escape in evidence was the away supporters streaming for the exits.
Guimaraes had scored a diving header in the 54th minute, Isak converted a penalty just after the hour and Ben Osborn turned into his own net a few minutes later after a game of pinball from a corner.
It means Sheffield moved to within three of a century of goals conceded and, in losing 13-1 to Newcastle over two fixtures this term, they have suffered the biggest aggregate reversal in Premier League history.
There were still 60 seconds to play when Wilder left his dugout and shook hands with Howe. He would be forgiven for wanting this all to be over rather quickly now.
Bruno Guimaraes pictured after Newcastle United’s 5-1 win on Saturday afternoon
