Sheffield United 1-4 Burnley: Clarets erupt, fuel escape hope
Burnley boosted its great escape hopes in sensational fashion, as Lorenz Assignon had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 blowout of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
WATCH SHEFFIELD UNITED vs BURNLEY FULL MATCH REPLAY
Lyle Foster, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and Jacob Bruun Larsen also scored in the win, which boosts Burnley within three points of safety before Sunday's match-up of 16th-place Everton and 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
Bottom side Sheffield United are all but relegated now, 10 points back of the safe spaces with only 15 points available to them the rest of the way.
Escape still possible, but Kompany’s Burnley will have to make it great
We've seen some good attacking play out of Burnley this year, but the Clarets are going to have to find something they haven't all season if a great escape is on the cards.
Burnley's wins this season now include a season sweep of Sheffield United as well as defeats of Luton Town, Fulham, and Brentford. Draws? Forest, Brighton, Luton, Fulham, West Ham, Chelsea, Wolves, and Brighton again.
If you're doing the math, that's one win from a top-half sides and four more points from drawing top-10 teams.
Next up? 7th, 6th, and 5th. If they want a finale that matters against Forest, they need to find something special, and maybe twice.
Bad at the back Blades get no bounces
Sheffield United have now conceded 88 goals this season in the Premier League, leaking 12 more goals than any of the high-powered attacks have even managed to score this season.
Yes, Man City's potency going forward is not as powerful as Blades' penchant for letting teams through to their goalkeepers.
While no one would brag about their 70-plus expected goals allowed on the season, Blades haven't gotten any luck either. And the first two goals Saturday showed that, with little turns off attempted blocks wrong footing the keeper to boot.
Chris Wilder's men have been bad, but they've also had bad luck. Blades managed 2.59 xG, conceded 1.75 xGA, and lost by four.
Fired Paul Heckingbottom is probably somewhere bummed for his players but wondering how much greener than grass looks now.
What’s next?
The Blades go to Manchester United and Newcastle before hosting Forest. Then it's off to Everton before returning home for Tottenham.
Burnley have Man United, Newcastle, and Spurs next before a finale versus Forest, so this win was vital to their hopes.
How to watch Sheffield United vs Burnley live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10am ET Saturday
TV Channel: Peacock Premium
Online: Premier League on Peacock
Sheffield United vs Burnley live updates — By Nick Mendola
Sheffield United vs Burnley live score: 1-4
Goalscorers: Larsen (38'), Assignon (40'), Hamer (52'), Foster (58'), Berg Gudmundsson (71')
Wow, Gudmundsson — Sheffield United 1-4 Burnley (71st minute)
Josh Brownhill and Josh Cullen cue up a non-Josh fresh into the game.
It's Johann Berg Gudmundsson with a terrific left-footed strike across goal and past Grbic.
He'd only been in the game less than 30 seconds.
Two-goal lead restored by Clarets — Sheffield United 1-3 Burnley (58th minute)
Clever from Assignon, who cuts inside and then hits an incisive pass toward Lyle Foster.
The South African gets his first goal since December to restore a two-goal lead for the visitors.
Hamer! Blades within one! Sheffield United 1-2 Burnley (52nd minute)
Gustavo Hamer with a brilliant dribble, stop, and shot.
The Brazil-born Dutch youth international cuts inside the 18 to floor a defender, then rips a brilliant shot past the flying Muric to bring the Blades within one early in the second frame.
Halftime — Sheffield United 0-2 Burnley
Quite a half! Seventeen shots between the sides, nearly evenly distributed.
Burnley took one more shot but their xG is less than half of the Blades.
Doesn't matter, two deflections that would be minor anywhere else on the field left Blades keeper Ivo Grbic out to dry.
And Arijanet Muric has five saves at the other end. Brilliant first 45 at Bramall Lane.
Assignon! It’s two! Sheffield United 0-2 Burnley (40th minute)
The January transfer has made it 2-0 within two minutes of restart.
Sander Berge turns over Blades in the Burnley final third and the Clarets go the other way.
A good spell of probative possession leads to Assignon darting into he box, turning Brereton Diaz around and then shooting the ball off the the thigh of Trusty and past Grbic.
Bruun Larsen continues his fine run-in — Sheffield United 0-1 Burnley (38th minute)
Wilson Odobert's fantastic dribble leads to a speculative shot attempt that takes a wicked turn off of Auston Trusty's back.
Jacob Bruun Larsen, author of several good Burnley goals down the stretch, hits it first time and it skitters off Jayden Bogle to wrong foot Grbic.
Muric again!
It's another big save by Muric to deny Brereton Diaz but there's more here.
The Stoke-born Chilean international had a cutback option with McBurnie which would've been an easy goal if the pass was completed.
These fine margins could hurt Blades.
Muric saves!
Arijanet Muric was very good last week before and after his gaffe cost the Blades a point, and he's resuming normal service here.
James McAtee gets a good cross off and Oli McBurnie's first-time shot is saved by the Blades keeper. 0-0 still.
Soon after, Ben Brereton Diaz's header goes off Assignon and is corralled by Muric.
Sheffield United lineup
Grbic, Trusty, Ahmedhodzic, Osborn, Arblaster, Souza, McAtee, Hamer, Bogle, McBurnie, Brereton Diaz
Burnley lineup
Muric, Taylor, O'Shea, Esteve, Assignon, Berge, Bruun Larsen, Cullen, Vitinho, Odobert, Foster
Sheffield United focus, team news
OUT: John Egan (ankle), George Baldock (calf), Max Lowe (ankle), Chris Basham (ankle), Tom Davies (thigh), Daniel Jebbison (illness), Rhys Norrington-Davies (thigh), Rhian Brewster (thigh) | QUESTIONABLE: Jack Robinson (ankle), Jayden Bogle (ankle)
Burnley focus, team news
OUT: Nathan Redmond (hamstring), Luca Koleosho (knee), Aaron Ramsey (knee), Jordan Beyer (thigh), Ameen Al-Dakhil (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Hjalmar Ekdal (fitness)
