At Bramall Lane, Aston Villa trounced bottom-place Sheffield United 5-0 to reclaim their place in the top four.
Villa became the first team to score four goals or more in the first half of an away Premier League game since October 2011, doing so in an 18-minute burst.
Twelve minutes in, Villa’s captain John McGinn gave the visitors the lead. Four minutes later, Ollie Watkins extended the lead by completing a fantastic through pass from Douglas Luiz.
After barely 30 minutes, several home fans were headed for the doors, and those that were left booed their team out at halftime. Leon Bailey curled in a third in the 20th minute, and Youri Tielemans thundered in a strike off the underside of the bar.
Shortly after half an hour had passed, Alex Moreno added a fifth goal to make it five different Villa players with goals, further compounding the Blades’ woes.
After Vinicius Souza’s goal was disallowed for offside in stoppage time, VAR denied Sheffield United a late consolation goal, adding to their anguish.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder said after the game:
“It was tough for our 30,000 Sheffield United supporters – it wasn’t good enough. Myself and my players have got to accept that responsibility. We have got well and truly took to the cleaners – 4-0 down after 30 minutes, there was never a chance of us getting back into the game.
“They were clinical in taking their chances but we were open and I have to accept that responsibility in terms of the way the team was set up. We have to take our medicine. This is what the Premier League is about, this is what it can do to you.
“It is not a nice feeling, there is no hiding place for a manager – whether I’m stood in that technical area for 95 minutes [which] felt like about three weeks – and for the players out there.
“Now everything that gets chucked at us – from our supporters, from the media, from everybody’s opinion – we have to take on the chin and accept.
“It’s been a really poor day for us and as manager I’m the face and front and centre of it all, and I have to take that responsibility.”
Meanwhile Unai Emery said:
“We reacted very well after the match we played on Tuesday [3-1 home defeat to Newcastle]. We were focused.
“We controlled the game and were clinical. We were feeling comfortable and stronger.
Asked whether he would have liked to have scored more goals: “I want to win and to respect the opponent is to try to continue to play seriously.
“The result at the end, scoring goals is important but the most important thing is to play serious.”
Sheffield United travel to Luton on Saturday while Aston Villa host Chelsea on Wednesday for their FA Cup replay before welcoming Manchester United to Villa Park next Sunday.
Other posts by Hiresh
