Sheffield United

Marissa Thomas, BBC Sport

It was another difficult afternoon for Sheffield United as they were comprehensively beaten at Emirates Stadium.

The Blades had two shots in the game, none on target, and lacked an attacking threat throughout the match.

Rhian Brewster made his first start of the season, replacing the injured Oli McBurnie, but he was unable to make an impression in the struggling United side.

Lapses in concentration were punished with Oliver Norwood giving away a penalty late on after fouling Fabio Vieira in the area.

In stoppage time, Takehiro Tomiyasu reacted quickest from a corner to fire in from close range as United switched off once again.

Sheffield United have lost nine of their 10 Premier League matches this season (D1) which is the worst ever start to a league season after 10 games.

Paul Heckingbottom's side host Wolves next weekend, as their search for a win continues.

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I think the first half to the second half was chalk and cheese.

"Although Arsenal had a lot of the ball in the first half, Wes [Fotheringham] only had one save to make. In the second half, the goals were really poor.

"They out-fought us as well as out-played us in the second half. That's what good teams do, they have the physicality as well.

"We know we are down to the bare bones, but the boys getting the opportunity need to grasp it. This is the level we're at.

"We've worked so hard to get here, no-one will take it easy on us, but it is fair to say Arsenal away won't define our season."

• Sheffield United have lost nine of their 10 Premier League matches this season (D1), with a goal difference of -22. It’s the worst ever start to a Premier League season after 10 games.

• Sheffield United have lost each of their last 10 Premier League away games in London, only Sunderland in January 2008 (14) and Norwich in October 2021 (11) have had longer such runs in the competition.

• Arsenal are unbeaten after 10 games of a Premier League season for the first time since 2007-08. They’ve also only had more than their current 24 points after 10 games on four occasions in the competition, in 2004-05 (25), 2007-08 (26), 2013-14 (25) and 2022-23 (27).

• Eddie Nketiah is the first Arsenal player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Leeds United in February 2021, and the first Englishman to do so since Theo Walcott against West Brom in May 2015.

• Takehiro Tomiyasu became the first ever Asian player to score a Premier League goal for Arsenal.

Eddie Nketiah scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Arsenal extended their unbeaten start to the season with victory over Sheffield United at the Emirates Stadium.

He opened the scoring with a deft touch and swivelled finish, after Declan Rice's threaded ball caught out the United defence.

Nketiah's thumping effort into the roof of the net increased Arsenal's lead against Paul Heckingbottom's struggling side.

A sensational strike from 25 yards out completed a perfect afternoon for the England forward, who has five league goals this season.

Fabio Vieira scored a late penalty after the video assistant referee (VAR) adjudged Oliver Norwood to have fouled him inside the area.

Takehiro Tomiyasu got on the end of a flick from Mohamed Elneny and poked home from a corner in stoppage time.

Victory lifted Arsenal up to second in the table, two points behind north London rivals Tottenham.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Arsenal fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Blades fans?

Follow all the reaction here

There are four games being played out in the Premier League on Saturday and we'll bring you every moment.

Follow all the action and reaction here

Live commentaries:

• Arsenal v Sheffield United - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Newcastle United - BBC Radio 5 Live

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, he takes on the stars of two CBBC shows - Tash, who features in The Football Academy, and Gabe from Jamie Johnson FC.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Sheffield United have one point from their first nine games, and with a quarter of the season gone, they are basically relegated, aren't they?

Things look desperate for the Blades already and you do wonder how they can shape up to try to stop Arsenal.

We already know that is what they will do - just hang in there and be resilient, and hopefully nick something, but I don't see it working out for them at the Emirates.

Arsenal's main worry ahead of this game is their schedule and their squad, because the games are coming thick and fast for them at the moment, but I think they will be pretty comfortable here.

I am still not sure about Gunners boss Mikel Arteta sticking with David Raya over Aaron Ramsdale in goal, but that situation is unlikely to affect how this game goes.

Tash's prediction: 3-0

Gabe's prediction: 4-0

Read their full predictions here

Former Sheffield United striker Carl Asaba on Rhian Brewster: "For someone who's had a career of injuries, I know mentally how tough it is and how easy it is to not deal with it and fade away.

"Rhian is a bubbly character and infectious around the training ground. He's our biggest fan in the stand. Lots of injured players you see depressed but he supports, gets involved and cheers them on. He's putting himself second and I think the world of him.

"His ability is just there, everyone knows. The level he's got to, he's played at Liverpool and England Under-21s. All that's hampered this boy is his injuries.

"I think he's one of the most unselfish strikers I've seen. Two seasons ago when he was asked to play right midfield he was getting pelters for not scoring. He was doing the graveyard shift where you have to try to help the attackers and get back. He was working just as hard, if not harder, to help his team-mates going back to goal. He gives everything.

"He could be the player who turns the season, he's got the confidence and the ability and he knows he can do it. He's going to come good.

"He's a player that can excite and ignite the season. Rhian can do it with a bit of flair and blistering pace. This is the thing that could change our season and I hope it does because he deserves it. Who knows what this boy's limits are."

Listen to the full episode here

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom says his side must "relish" the challenge of facing unbeaten Arsenal on Saturday.

The Blades are still looking for their first win back in the Premier League but Heckingbottom believes his players "shouldn't fear" their trip to Emirates Stadium.

"It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest," he said ahead of the match.

"In my opinion, anyone who finishes above them this season probably wins the league, so yes, it's as good as it gets for us.

"In terms of the challenge, we have to relish it. When you're playing, you can't always see these moments as opportunities, but they are. You've got to enjoy going to the toughest place and putting in a performance.

"These are the games that can kick-start people's careers and really establish them, so someone's career, someone's rise to success, someone's whatever it is that gets them to the top level has to start somewhere and it's getting that mindset into players.

"We shouldn't fear going there. We should accept how tough it's going to be and what level of performance we have to put in to get points.

"Again keeping that realistic head on it, that might not be enough, but so long as we can deliver that, then we'll be happy."

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Sheffield United could sack manager Paul Heckingbottom if his side lose at Arsenal on Saturday, paving the way for former Blades boss Chris Wilder, 53, whose last job was at Watford last season. (Mail), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has been speaking to the media before Saturday's trip to Arsenal in the Premier League.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• George Baldock is available again, with Will Osula and Max Lowe getting closer but he said that his team is currently down to its "absolute bare bones."

• He said it has not been easy to keep morale high but believed that "things haven't gone our way, whether it's been the injuries, whether it's been moments on the pitch" referenced Spurs away [conceding two goals in stoppage time to lose 2-1] and Pickford's save with his head against Everton.

• He wants his players to relish games like this as he sees Arsenal to be "one of the biggest, if not the biggest" tests of the season, and that "anyone finishing above them this season probably wins the league."

• On previous good performances against Tottenham and Manchester United: "I'd take a worse performance than all those and points."

• On Auston Trusty who joined Sheffield United from Arsenal and has started the last two games: "He's got the athleticism to play at this level, he's got a desire and mentality to improve."

• He revealed the defender took extra sessions when he wasn't starting to improve his chances.

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Image source, Getty Images

Auston Trusty believes it will "just take one game" to turn Sheffield United's season around.

Despite sitting bottom of the Premier League table with one point from nine games, the Blades have come close to taking points off leaders Tottenham, champions Manchester City and also Manchester United last time out.

They have another tough test against third-placed Arsenal on Saturday, but the former Gunners player believes they have a chance of getting a result and turning their form around.

"It's hard, looking at the results you would think we're getting smacked every single game and we're not winning, but we've been in a lot of games and it just hasn't gone our way," said the defender in a pre-match news conference.

"It would be unfair to say we've been totally out of games [or] we've been getting totally wrecked this entire year, but it's not true because we actually have been in games and had a lot of opportunities to have success in this league.

"All it takes is one result and then all of a sudden what everyone has been saying about us totally changes, now we have momentum and that's all it takes. It just takes one game, one moment, one goal, so that's where it is - you build this momentum and it all adds up."

Rob Staton, BBC Radio Sheffield

It’s pretty incredible how quickly things change in football. It was only a few months ago that life couldn’t be much better for Sheffield United fans. An exciting promotion race accompanied a strong FA Cup run to the semi-finals.

We were actually discussing on air the merits of going ‘all in’ to get to Wembley versus resting players for the league run-in.

Now our phone-ins are a mix of people calling for the manager to go and others passionately defending Paul Heckingbottom, noting (rightly, in my opinion) that nothing about United’s summer was conducive to starting the Premier League season on the front foot.

I think the saddest thing though is the sense of apathy from others. I’ve seen messages on X from Blades fans almost resigned to their fate. It brings up the debate as to whether promotion to the Premier League is all it’s cracked up to be? Is the journey better than the destination?

A spirited performance against Manchester United was typical of this Blades side, but the injuries continue to mount and a trip to Arsenal this weekend feels ominous.

If there’s anything to cling on to it’s perhaps the way teams like Southampton gave the Gunners a game at the Emirates last season. It’s starting to feel like United need something pretty spectacular to give the fans a needed boost and the club a spark in the top flight.

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