Lundstram leads Sheffield United’s ascent
Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, is refusing to look at the Premier League table at this stage, but it makes satisfying reading for his club.
After surging to this convincing win, they are enjoying the giddy heights of sixth, looking down on Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United ahead of facing those clubs next.
All the goals came in the first half, two from John Lundstram, then another from John Fleck.
Burnley fan Alastair Campbell, the former Downing Street communications director, was in the press room but even he might have struggled to put a positive slant on the visitors’ implosion.
“I’ve not looked at the league table, and I won’t do,” said Wilder. “I’ll only assess the league table at the death. It is about accumulating points. I was delighted with the whole of the game.”
Sheffield United’s 3-5-2 looks a welloiled machine when its components click, and Burnley struggled to cope at times here.
The Blades’ stunning 1-0 win against Arsenal in their last outing here has been followed up with another statement of intent.
Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager, has to repair the damage of three successive defeats, with his team down in 14th – and also a run of eight away games without a win.
All three goals came down Burnley’s right-hand side, but that was not the only problem area.
Sheffield United made a fast start and scored from a move that showed how fluent they can be. It ended in David McGoldrick crossing for the dangerous Lyss Mousset to touch the ball back and Lundstram striking in.
Dyche’s team had a brief spell of hope, particularly when the ball struck Jack O’Connell on the arm – only for no penalty to be awarded. The Burnley manager also felt his men could have had a penalty when Jay Rodriguez went down.
The visitors’ hopes were left in tatters though, when Wilder’s men scored twice within two minutes in the late stages of the first half.
Lundstram pounced from six yards to make it 2-0, from Mousset’s touch, after impressive Enda Stevens crossed.
Just 90 seconds later, Fleck struck the third from 16 yards after Mousset threaded a pass forward, to punish the visitors for cheaply losing possession.
In the second half, Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope kept the score down.
Dyche’s men had scored in all their away games this season before arriving here – but left Bramall Lane without a shot on target.
Dyche said: “It was as poor a showing as we’ve had since early last season.
“But don’t misrepresent my words, because they [Sheffield United] were excellent.”