Premier League: Dramatic afternoon in Sheffield
Sheffield United 2 - 2 West Ham United
Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie scored the latest goal in the Premier League, scoring a 103rd-minute penalty to rescue a point for his side against West Ham.
Sheffield United were awarded the spot-kick in the eighth minute of added time when Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola was judged to have taken out McBurnie.
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The forward then smashed his effort beyond substitute stopper Lukasz Fabianski after Areola was forced to leave the pitch with an injury.
West Ham seemed to be smoothly heading for a 2-1 win following James Ward-Prowse's successful penalty in the 79th minute. Maxwel Cornet had earlier given the Hammers a lead in the first half, marking his first goal for the club, but Ben Brereton Diaz equalized just before halftime on his Premier League debut.
The second half of the game brought heightened excitement, with two red cards and two penalty appeals. Sheffield United's Rhian Brewster was sent off after VAR intervention for a high, late tackle on Emerson, while Vladimir Coufal received a yellow card for protesting Brewster's dismissal and later got a second booking for a cynical trip.
Drama persisted even after Sheffield United's late equalizer, as West Ham sought a penalty of their own when Jarrod Bowen went down in the area. Despite the late leveller, Sheffield United remains at the bottom of the Premier League table, seven points adrift from safety.
While it's an uphill battle for Sheffield United, there were positive moments, especially with Ben Brereton Diaz scoring his first goal for the club. However, defensive challenges persist. Oli McBurnie's late equalizer made him the first Blades player to score in four consecutive home top-flight matches.
Moyes in or Moyes out?
Drawing to bottom of the league and possibly one of the worst teams the Prem has seen and you still can’t critise Moyes. Hilarious.
— West Ham Transfers (@westhamtransfer) January 21, 2024
We were horrendous.
Despite West Ham's recent struggles, they remain in a respectable sixth place in the league and are still active in European competitions. However, there were some concerns among the West Ham fanbase. There were questions about manager David Moyes' decisions, particularly his substitution of Cornet, leading to boos from visiting supporters.
The match seemed destined for a West Ham victory until Coufal's 97th-minute red card leveled the playing field to 10 versus 10.
A dramatic match up until final moments
In the final moments, there was even more controversy as Bowen clashed with Sheffield United's Anel Ahmedhodzic in the area, resulting in a handball call against Bowen, leaving West Ham players convinced they should have been awarded a second penalty. Was this a penalty?
"I don't know how they haven't looked at that & gone 'that's a stonewall penalty' for me" 👀 @rioferdy5 & Joe Cole believe Jarrod Bowen was denied an "absolute" penalty as he was brought down in box during the final moments of the game...
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 21, 2024
🎙️ @laura_woodsy pic.twitter.com/kmvQlP0cb3
The best Sheffield United reaction
Daniel, a Sheffield United fan, told us: "That could potentially be a very good point. Especially, if Forest and Everton get a 10 point deduction. The battle for survival will open up if that happens."
@ifeanyimicheal6922 commented on YouTube: "I think if Sheffield United can tweak this team a little, we can grab a few points here and there and escape. I love this team, but i don't know if they can stay up."
More from the West Ham fans
Jon Pugh spoke to us on an Facebook and said: "It is evident that changes are required after struggling to defeat the team in the relegation zone. We don't have real strength in depth and have far too many players the wrong side of 30. You can't build a team for the long-term with the likes of Cresswell, Antonio, Ings, Coufal, Fabianski and Areola."
Laura, a contributor from NewsBall on Facebook, posted: "While I've had my share of criticisms directed at David Moyes, today it was the players who truly disappointed. Our passing in the first half was downright dreadful, and unfortunately, the lack of discipline and errors persisted into the second half."
