The Blades took the lead at Old Trafford against the run of play in the 35th minute when Jayden Bogle scored after a wayward pass from Andre Onana. United equalized just before half-time through Harry Maguire’s header from a cross by Alejandro Garnacho.
The Blades then quickly restored their lead in the second half through Ben Brereton Diaz. Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty and a long-range effort to put United in the lead.
Rasmus Hojlund sealed the victory with a tap-in from a cross by Fernandes. In the game, INEOS and Wilcox overlooked an important element of the plan by not considering that Ten Hag’s team lacked the players to adapt to a dominating style.
Diallo was not given a starting position despite Ten Hag mentioning that he deserved to start matches. Antony was preferred over Diallo, but failed to justify his selection and was eventually replaced.
United’s lack of a Plan B became evident when Hojlund was struggling to make a breakthrough. Maguire’s performance highlighted his value to the team, as he has played through injuries and criticism to emerge as one of the few United stars with credit.
However, a penalty controversy left the Red Devils fuming, as the referee’s decision could have been a turning point in the match.