Key events
86 min Foderingham calmly lobs the ball over the onrushing Beto, prompting a spike in the collective blood pressure around Bramall Lane. United suddenly look really tired and Everton are pushing for a winner.
83 min A weary Sheffield United are starting to look more interested in protecting a point than gaining two more.
81 min Beto has also faded in the last half hour, though I’m not surprise given the effort he puts in. Overall it’s been a very promising league debut.
80 min Young’s free-kick is too close to Foderingham, who saves comfortably.
79 min Basham fouls Onana 25 yards from goal. Ashley Young looks like he fancies rolling back the years. A lot of years.
77 min Neither team has settled for a 2-2, though that may start to happen in the next few minutes. Danjuma’s cross is headed away well by Ahmedhodzic, then Onana overhits a cross towards Beto.
76 min A free-kick is headed away to Robinson on the left edge of the area. He wafts the bouncing ball indulgently over the bar.
75 min: Sheff Utd substitution Benie Traore replaces Cameron Archer, who was much quieter in the second half. In the first he was superb.
75 min: Everton subsitution The fit again Dwight McNeil replaces James Garner.
74 min Hamer’s excellent free-kick is headed away crucially by the stooping Branthwaite.
73 min Doucoure is booked for a foul on Baldock just outside the area on the right. It’s getting pretty frantic now.
71 min: Good save from Pickford! The two wing-backs almost combine to give United the lead. Baldock somehow digs out a cross from the right that takes a deflection off Young and loops dangerously over the head of Pickford. Thomas’s volley from a tight angle is crucially saved by Pickford, whose footwork across the line was excellent, then Hamer’s raking follow-up is blocked in the six-yard box.
69 min “I expected a cagey match between two safety-first teams, but so far each team’s forward line has made their opposing defences look rickety,” says Kári Tulinius. “I may be going on reputation more than fact, but I thought sides coached by Heckingbottom and Dyche would be more solid.”
67 min: Sheff Utd substitution In fact it’s a double change. Chris Basham is on for John Egan, who did well to last this long.
66 min: Sheffield United substitution Luke Thomas, who joined on loan from Leicester in the week, replaces the injured Yasser Larouci at left wing-back.
64 min Foderingham grabs the ball right on the edge of the penalty area. The Everton fans appeal but the referee, whose positioning was excellent, says it’s okay.
60 min Robinson’s cross goes behind for a corner off Patterson.
59 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Gary Byrne. “Would Jordan Pickford constantly picking the ball out of the Everton net also be a case of nominative determinism?”
Let’s stop this before our more optimistic quadragenarian readers start changing their surname to Thunderba$tard.
58 min A poor clearance from Patterson hits a United player and ricochets to Larouci, who shoots over from 15 yards. Half a chance.
57 min With every passing goal, this becomes a better game to win and a worse one to lose. Three points are three points are three points, but some victories do more for morale than others.
56 min Doucoure’s long-range shot is easily saved by Foderingham. This is great stuff!
Beto played a simple pass down the right to Patterson, who angled a killer first-time cross towards Danjuma at the far post. It arrived slightly awkwardly, on the bounce, but Danjuma steered it high into the net from six yards. The cross from Patterson was superb.
GOAL! Sheff Utd 2-2 Everton (Danjuma 55)
Another twist in this early-season humdinger!
53 min Young’s near-post corner is headed across goal by Beto, who is having a terrific game, but Tarkowski can’t quite reach it. Just before that, during the usual pre-corner wrestle, Branthwaite was almost disrobed. I have no idea whether that’s a foul or not any more.
52 min Young’s dangerous corner is headed away well by Egan, under all kinds of pressure.
51 min Danjuma crashes a poor free-kick straight into the wall.
50 min Young points out that the wall is standing in front of the foam line – so the referee sprays another in a completely different place! Sean Dyche is laughing, but he’s not amused.
49 min: No penalty Yep, just outside the area; at least that’s the VAR verdict (we haven’t seen many replays). There was a defender coming across, so it’s a yellow rather than a red card for Ahmedhodzic.
48 min Danjuma is pulled back just outside the area by Ahmedhodzic after a superb backheel from Beto. It’ll be checked by VAR. The first contact was outside, though it may have continued in the area.
46 min Branthwaite was flattened by McBurnie just before that chance, though he’s okay to continue.
46 min Beto misses a not unreasonable chance after about 15 seconds of the second half. It was almost all his own work. He collected a nothing ball on the halfway line, turned and scorched away from the last defender, Egan I think. Beto reached the edge of the area but then ran out of steam and shot well wide with his left foot.
46 min Peep peep! Sheffield United begin the second half.
“During the break in play for Egan’s injury, they replayed the goals,” says Joe Pearson. “I didn’t notice the first time, but Archer’s goal celebration is the mimed ‘shooting an arrow’. Of course it is. Nominative determinism at its best.”
It’s okay, that Brazilian fella didn’t score for Celtic.
Half time: Sheffield United 2-1 Everton
A thrilling first half at Bramall Lane. Abdoulaye Doucoure put Everton ahead, their first league goal of the season, before Arnaut Danjuma missed a terrific chance to make it two. The new centre-forward Beto was very impressive – but it was Sheffield United’s new boy Cameron Archer who stole the show. He equalised with a smart first-time finish after good play from the superb Gustavo Hamer and Oli McBurnie, then forced an own goal from Jordan Pickford on the stroke of half time.
More, please!
Baldock swept a long ball up to Hamer just inside the Everton half. He controlled it on the bounce and helped it over his shoulder to release Archer, one on one with Tarkowski. Archer cut inside from the left, 25 yards out, and curled a beautiful shot that hit the far post, ricocheted off the back of the diving Pickford and flew into the net.
Pickford was blameless; all the credit goes to Hamer and especially Archer, who is having a storming league debut for United!
So unlucky for Jordan Pickford… 🫣
Sheffield Utd take the lead as an shot off the post bounces off the Everton keeper and ends up in the back of the net… 😳#SHUEVE pic.twitter.com/u1oaunrOYl
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 2, 2023
GOAL! Sheffield United 2-1 Everton (Pickford og 45+3)
Cameron Archer has forced an own goal from Jordan Pickford!
45 min Four minutes of added time. Egan is still struggling after that earlier wrestling match with Beto.
44 min: Chance for Danjuma! Beto spins Egan majestically and stabs an excellent ball through the inside-left channel to release Danjuma. His touch is slightly heavy and that allows Foderingham to come out and dive at his feet. Beto has been increasingly excellent.
44 min This is a perfectly poised game. Both teams will fancy their chances of victory; both have sufficient self-awareness to know it could go the other way, and how damaging that could be.
42 min Play resumes, you betcha.
40 min Egan is down after a wrestling match with Beto, an impromptu contest of which there was only going to be one winner. I think he’s okay.
37 min Good game, this.
