8 March MW 27
SHEFFIELD ‘SHELLACKING’ UNITED
Another Matchweek, another home humiliation at Bramall Lane for Sheffield United. This time a 6-0 hammering courtesy of a rampant Arsenal who set a record for successive away victories, Monday night’s mauling following swiftly on the heels of another 6-0 win at West Ham and a mere 5-0 at Burnley. Arsenal’s 2024 could hardly have gone much better – seven wins on the trot, 31 goals for and 3 against.
As for the Blades, they have now leaked 72 goals in 27 matches (42 of those at home including two 0-5s and of course, the pièce de résistance, the 8-0 defeat by Newcastle). Their current rate of conceding goals is 2.63 which over 38 matches is 99.94 – that Swindon century is not too far away. They have contributed to their own downfall with a handful of own goals, with the aptly named Jayden Bogle the latest to get in on the act with the second against Arsenal in the 13th minute. That was their fourth in their last nine games and they have the record of 8 own goals in a season set by Leicester in 2003/04.
Sheffield United have a couple of records under their belt already, being the first English league football side to concede at least 5 goals in four successive home games. They managed to slip in a 5-2 FA Cup defeat to Brighton alongside their 5-0 Premier League loss to the same opponents and another 5-0 drubbing by Villa. Their porousness at the back also earned them the dishonour of being the first English top flight side to lose three consecutive league home games by at least a 5-goal margin.
Despite all these facts, in his post-match interview Martin Odegaard still managed to trot out the hackneyed line of Bramall Lane ‘being a tough place to come to’. Of course it is, Martin.
The Football Mine 