And that’s where I leave you. Here’s the match report from Molineux, where Wolverhampton Wanderers got the win over Sheffield United that everyone expected, though not in the way most expected both teams to play.
If that’s what it takes to say goodnight, then that’s what it takes.
Updated
Was this the moment in which Sheffield United’s hopes of survival were finally extinguished? (Probably not, but narrative …)
Sheffield United come THIS close to a late equaliser 😰 pic.twitter.com/PLfTlpMAFn
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 25, 2024
Wolves have now lost just two of their past 11 games. Considering they were widely tipped to languish in the lower reaches of the table after Julen Lopetegui’s surprise exit on the brink of the season, it represents a remarkable effort from Gary O’Neil.
As for Sheffield United … barring a miracle, they’re done and dusted aren’t they? They’re only eight points from safety, but it’s difficult to see where the wins are coming from.
Eighth!
A win for @Wolves that sees them rise to eighth in the table! 📈#WOLSHU pic.twitter.com/0keDOX6IlF
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 25, 2024
FT: Wolves 1-0 Sheffield United
It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t vintage Wolves by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a sickener for Sheffield United as the home side claim all three points at Molineux. You’ll struggle to see a more spirited second half display by an away side all season; just a lack of quality plagued the Blades in the end and they weren’t able to breach the hosts’ defence.
Wolves get a hard-earned three points thanks to that excellent first half header from Pablo Sarabia. Their rise under Gary O’Neil continues.
90 mins + 4: Brilliant from Lemina and Neto between them, both showing superb composure to bring it away from trouble. That may well be enough for Wolves.
90 mins + 3: A rare shot for Wolves, as it opens up for Gomes to strike it cleanly, yet he only stings the palms of Grbic.
Semedo clears under pressure from Osula at the other end. Long throw time.
90 mins + 1: Tommy Doyle defends doggedly and thuds it away and clear. Time is running out for Sheffield United, here.
Matt Doherty is the latest to be introduced for Wolves as we enter five minutes of stoppage time. Sarabia – whose strike remains the difference – has trotted off.
89 mins: Goodness me, Sheffield United have come within a whisker. McBurnie flicks on the long throw but nobody can latch onto McAtee’s prod towards the back post and it drifts out for a goal-kick.
Updated
87 mins: McBurnie gets a sniff, as he tries to take down a cross from the left, spin and shoot, but is thwarted. Neto then runs it upfield to win his side a throw-in and some valuable territory.
86 mins: Off goes Wolves’ main goal threat. Bellegarde replaces Hwang.
85 mins: O’Neil looks pretty nonplussed with his team’s second half performances – as well he might be. They’re now playing some very dicey stuff between themselves at the back, inviting pressure.
83 mins: A succession of set pieces for Sheffield United. It feels like something is coming for them …
82 mins: Wilder is finally bringing on some attacking options.
Tom Davies for Norwood, McBurnie for Brewster and Will Osula for Souza.
80 mins: Neto is still on the pitch, JR, and I suspect Sheffield United will commit a few more men forward in these final minutes to leave spaces for ol’ Pedro …
Regarding my previous Pedro Neto prediction, JR in Illinois has a few thoughts via email:
Hey Dominic. Have you given any thought to the style of hat you’ll be snacking on? I’d recommend something small like maybe a fez. Preparation is important too. If you have time I’d say tear it into strips and marinate it in soy sauce then dry it and it could be like jerky. Otherwise shredded into a slaw with a mustardy vinaigrette sounds somewhat palatable.
Or maybe just to stick it to Chris Wilder you could use it as the encasing of a sandwich.
78 mins: There’s no way Gary O’Neil will be satisfied with this second half display. He’s bringing on former Sheffield United loanee Tommy Doyle, who replaces Ait-Nouri.
Also coming on is a scrap of paper, presumably telling the Wolves players of a change in formation.
75 mins: Hamer got it quite spectacularly wrong from the free-kick, chipping it to an empty bit of grass instead of taking the obvious choice – to shoot.
“That’s why you’re going down,” is the obvious taunt from the home fans.
74 mins: Brewster wriggles free of Gomes and feels the pull-back from the Wolves midfielder on his arm, which is enough to win a free-kick right on the edge.
73 mins: Osborn is on for Larouci for the Blades, which is probably a direct switch at left wing-back.
72 mins: If I was Chris Wilder, I’d switch to a back four and introduce McBurnie up front. But I’m not.
Semedo is booked for a professional foul on Brewster, although Sheffield United’s players are calling for a red instead. He wasn’t quite the last man so it cannot be a sending off.
Updated
70 mins: Larouci does excellently at the other end. It’s not quite making amends, but it’s a fine piece of defending to repel Neto in any case.
69 mins: Chris Wilder applauds, despite an atrocious crossing attempt from Larouci – the second time in the game the left wing-back has skewed his cross into the crowd.
Sheffield United keep coming though, with Hamer forcing a corner through sheer determination.
68 mins: To say this game has become strewn with errors would be an understatement. Nobody can quite grab a hold of it. The angst among the home supporters is palpable as Wolves continue to look nervy.
66 mins: Close from Sarabia! He only scores eyecatching goals and this was nearly another, bending a rising shot just beyond the upright from distance.
64 mins: Neto – who has been very quiet in this second half – gets onto it and jinks past two or three, on a rampage forward. It’s getting really stretched now. Larouci puts it behind for a Wolves corner.
61 mins: Wolves are caught between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Do they push on and try to get a decisive second, or hold what they have? Nobody in old gold seems sure.
Sheffield United are fighting like tigers, it has to be said. They look the more likely to score next.
60 mins: Hwang sees off numerous challenges to keep a Wolves attack alive. They’ve finally sparked into life in this second half – while still offering openings at the other end.
From one of those, McAtee’s searching cross finds Brewster, who forces Sa into a save as the angle tightened.
57 mins: Grbic flaps at a free-kick and then Gomes tries an overhead kick and gets penalised for it. A high foot with players close by.
56 mins: Wolves are screaming for a handball against Souza. It’s one of those handballs. You know, the kind that get given these days?
VAR isn’t giving this one, which is a good call by my money. Souza was too close and couldn’t withdraw his hand.
54 mins: Brewster butchers another promising attacking moment for Sheffield United, who are forcing Wolves into error after error at the moment.
McAtee works it nicely onto his left foot and drills just past the post. A good effort.
Updated
52 mins: That’s incredibly sloppy play from Dawson, dawdling on the ball for an age and then misplacing his pass to induce more Sheffield United pressure. That rather sums up how Wolves have been since the break: lax.
50 mins: Persistent stuff from both Brewster and Ahmedhodzic to keep pressurising the Wolves defence, winning another corner. Hamer’s kick comes to nothing in the end, but it’s been good from the Blades since the resumption.
Updated
48 mins: The referee stops play midway through a Sheffield United attack, with Lemina having taken a knock to the head while defending that corner.
47 mins: Robinson gets an early second half opportunity to send in that Stokes-esque throw, again causing a few jitters for Wolves in the mixer. Corner.
Second half: Anyway, this show is back on the road.
If Carabao Cup final buildup is more your bag than the actual Barclay’s, then I can only point you in the direction of Chelsea v Liverpool in the company of Rob Smyth:
Is there anyone out there who gives Sheffield United a prayer in the second half?
Anyone?
There’s a point to be made that they’ve actually looked fairly sharp on the break today. And an equally valid point that they’re actually pretty rubbish.
This was one of the more unexpected moments of that first 45 minutes:
Sheffield United pair Vinícius Souza and Jack Robinson have a swipe at each other! 😳🚫 pic.twitter.com/LSpyPPXqKP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 25, 2024
HT: Wolves 1-0 Sheffield United
Well, the lowly visitors haven’t been completely chanceless, but the 1-0 scoreline reflects Wolves’ dominance of an intriguing half. Pablo Sarabia’s excellent header separates the sides, but you suspect neither Gary O’Neil nor Chris Wilder will be too disappointed with what they’ve seen.
You feel the second half is a big 45 minutes for Sheffield United; they cannot afford to come away from Molineux empty-handed.
There’s now two minutes of first half added time, as Toti twists and turns and nearly ghosts through … eventually it drops to Sarabia to volley goalwards – but it’s well over.
44 mins: Robinson’s bullet throw again creates uncertainty in the Wolves’ box, with Ahmedhodzic trying to pirouette and flick it home. Wanderers do clear and again look to get it forward quickly on the counter.
42 mins: Mario Lemina, take a bow. An outstanding display of strength to repel two Sheffield United players with challenges in his own box, and then a raking ball to play in Neto upfield. It’s defensive midfield play of the highest order.
40 mins: It’s all Wolves now, with both Hwang and Neto causing all sorts of headaches for the visitors’ back three with their runs into the channels. Do Sheffield United stick in and try and nick an equaliser? Or do they open up and show more adventure?
No red card. But blimey, that would have been something. Mutiny in the ranks?
37 mins: Goodness me. There’s a VAR check for a red card for a hand-off by one of the Sheffield United players – on his own player. Souza and Robinson involved, I think.
Updated
36 mins: If Pedro Neto ends this game without a goal or assist, I’ll eat my hat. He swerves inside from the left once more and thwacks a decent effort just over the crossbar.
Perfect header from Pablo Sarabia! 🇪🇸✨ pic.twitter.com/RdHxRrjn0N
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 25, 2024
34 mins: Wolves are starting to enjoy themselves, with Neto dancing through a couple of tackles, trying to link up with Hwang. Neto then pops up on the right but Larouci clears.
32 mins: Just when Sheffield United were beginning to threaten …
That will be a real sickener for Chris Wilder. The Wolves fans are making themselves heard, as their team hunt a quickfire second.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Sheffield United (Sarabia, 30)
If you don’t take your chances, you’ll be punished! The deftest of headers from Sarabia.
That’s a quality ball from Ait-Nouri with his right foot, cutting in from the left, and it’s perfectly nodded home by the Spaniard.
Updated
29 mins: McAtee is played clean through after a simple Route One ball, but he can’t really get it under his spell and fires straight at Sa.
28 mins: Sheffield United ought to have been given a free-kick there, as McAtee – exchanging passes with Brewster – was knocked off his feet on the edge of the box. Not sure if the referee, Darren Bond, was playing advantage or if he didn’t deem it a foul.
Either way, the Blades are growing into this a little. The battling, scheming McAtee continues to catch the eye.
25 mins: Wolves look like they’re becoming a little impatient. Just rushing and playing balls aimlessly forward. They need to get it down and play; they’ve got the better footballers.
23 mins: Oh, Rhian Brewster, that’s a big opportunity spurned. The flick-on from Bogle played in the former Liverpool youngster, who looked unsure whether to shoot or square it to McAtee. He opts for the former, but blazes well over.
22 mins: If I were Auston Trusty, I wouldn’t be grabbing a fistful of Hwang’s shirt inside my own box. Just a tip. He escapes punishment on this occasion.
20 mins: Jack Robinson’s throw-in is longer than a Ben Stokes missile from the boundary and, in fairness, causes a similar level of mayhem. Bogle has a double shot, one of which prompts (halfhearted) appeals for a penalty.
Larouci ushers Neto out of play after a quick Wolves break.
18 mins: Lemina signals that he may require medical treatment. He’d linked up with Semedo in that move, laying it out wide before box-crashing to try and meet the cross. He took a bang but should be fine.
The resulting corner is headed over by Gomes.
16 mins: Bogle does well down the Sheffield United right and tries to buy a penalty off Ait-Nouri, who is too smart to dive in, and there’s nothing doing.
15 mins: Dawson pings a cross-field pass over to Semedo, which begins another Wolves attack. They’re taking their time with these sequences, with the onus on keeping Sheffield United penned in, denying the counterattack.
13 mins: Lemina was unmarked at the near post and met that free-kick with a decent glancing header, which was blocked. Wolves piling on the pressure now.
12 mins: Careful, Anel Ahmedhodzic. That’s not the greatest tackle on Neto, who’d out-paced him in a sprint race down the Wolves left. The Blades’ skipper is fortunate to avoid a booking.
Updated
11 mins: Hwang looks to hustle and harry Trusty after a sneaky over-the-top ball from Kilman. The South Korean is adjudged to have fouled his man there, which is a bit harsh.
Grbic is already getting booed for timewasting on goal-kicks, which perhaps says a lot about Sheffield United’s approach.
9 mins: Neto looks a complete class apart in this match at the moment. What a gem he is for Wolves.
7 mins: Joao Gomes thunders into McAtee with an immaculate challenge, as Wolves continue to look the sharper and more slick outfit in these early stages, without enjoying a shot on target yet. Neto works an opening but it’s scuffed and wide.
5 mins: That’s a teasing ball from Neto, which goes all the way across the Sheffield United six-yard line but just beyond the reach of the stretching Sarabia at the back post.
4 mins: The visitors are going direct whenever they get it, which is pretty understandable, but also fairly easy to defend for Wolves – at the moment.
2 mins: After last week’s horror-show start at home to Brighton, Sheffield United would love a quiet opening to this game if possible. They’re getting that as it stands, with Wolves enjoying some pressure-free possession.
Grbic slides out to collect a loose through-ball, just about staying in his area.
KICK OFF
Let’s go!
Hwang has received some treatment and looks OK to start after all. Wolves fans, and I dare say a few Fantasy Football managers, will be breathing a sigh of relief.
We’re almost ready to start.
Oh no, this doesn’t look too good.
Hee-Chan Hwang has gone down with a knock in the warm-up 🚨 pic.twitter.com/X1AuFqdtaP
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 25, 2024
Gary O’Neil tells the Sky Sports cameras that “the more we face teams [like Sheffield United], the more we improve”. He wants his side to become more adaptable and “understand the challenge”.
Chris Wilder has the bit between his teeth and wants his players to “restore pride in our performances” after that 5-0 shellacking by Brighton last week. “We can produce big performances away from home and we’ll need one today.”
I had the benefit of attending the reverse fixture between these two sides for The Guardian and watched a slightly madcap 100ish minutes unfold, in which time Sheffield United scrapped and scraped their way to a 1-0 lead, squandered it amid heavy Wolves pressure, and then won it at the last thanks to a marginal VAR call.
Lessons to be learned from that game? That Wolves can be a soft touch in these games at times, preferring to counter than be countered upon, and that VAR will always, always have the final say.
Half an hour until go-time at Molineux. Wolves have lost their previous two games here and haven’t won a home Premier League match since 2023. Meanwhile, Sheffield United have scored nine goals in their past three away trips in all competitions, winning two of those games. Am I trying to squeeze the stats into a narrative? Er … maybe. However, it’s clear that a Wolves win isn’t as nailed-on as some may be assuming.
The last time @SheffieldUnited played Wolves, Oliver Norwood scored a 100th-minute winner! 😱 pic.twitter.com/ZFaftkaU4p
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 25, 2024
Wolves are unchanged, lining up in that familiar 3-4-3 that Nuno Espirito Santo often used, which has been revitalised to good effect by Gary O’Neil. That’s a dangerous looking front three even without Cunha, with Pablo Sarabia joining Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto up top.
Sheffield United make four changes, the most notable one in goal with Wes Foderingham dropped and Ivo Grbic getting another chance, after a couple of games in late January – in which he conceded eight goals. Rhian Brewster, yet to score a league goal this season, leads the line. I make it a 3-5-1-1 from the Blades with James McAtee in that No 10 role.
Team news 🆚 Wolves 🗞️
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) February 25, 2024
Four changes for the Bladesmen as Ivo Grbić returns in goal 🧤 pic.twitter.com/uLxgHR5CPd
Team news
Wolves: Sá, Kilman, Dawson, Toti, Semedo, Lemina, Gomes, Aït-Nouri, Neto, Sarabia, Hwang
Subs: Bentley, Doherty, H.Bueno, S.Bueno, Doyle, Traoré, Bellegarde, Chirewa, Fraser
Sheffield United: Grbic, Robinson, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Bogle, Norwood, Hamer, Souza, Larouci, McAtee, Brewster
Subs: Foderingham, Curtis, Sasnauskas, Davies, Osborn, Arblaster, Brooks McBurnie, Osula
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to this latest instalment of 'which Wolves will turn up today’? Gary O’Neil is doing a pretty solid job at Molinuex, but their recent results card shows the following: a 2-1 win at Tottenham, a 2-0 home defeat by Brentford, a magnificient 4-2 win away at Chelsea and a crazy 4-3 loss to Manchester United. That’s some wildly oscillating form by anyone’s yardstick.
You’d think the visit of Sheffield United today makes Wolves big favourites, which of course is true. But they were seriously blunt in that home reverse to Brentford a fortnight ago and actually lost to the Blades earlier in the season at Bramall Lane – albeit via a controversial VAR decision. It’s perhaps that cocktail that will give confidence to Chris Wilder’s men on their trip down the M1, even if their hopes of avoiding relegation appear increasingly slim with every passing week. Mason Holgate is absent for the visitors, of course, after his horrendous red card tackle against Brighton last week. Wolves may well miss Matheus Cunha, who has a hamstring problem, the same issue that is currently afflicting the Blades’ January addition, Ben Brereton Díaz.
Kick-off is in the slightly earlier Sunday slot, at 1.3opm (GMT). Team news will follow.
