In a truly one-sided affair, Newcastle United secured a stunning 8-0 victory over Sheffield United, which saw the home team suffer their worst-ever defeat in a Premier League match.
The Blades were outclassed and outplayed from the outset, as Sean Longstaff opened the scoring for the visitors in the 21st minute.
From there, the floodgates opened, with Dan Burn and Sven Botman adding two more goals before halftime to give Newcastle a commanding lead.
Sheffield United’s manager, Paul Heckingbottom, must have hoped for a response from his team in the second half, but it was not to be.
Newcastle continued to dominate the game, with Callum Wilson scoring a fourth goal in the 56th minute before Anthony Gordon added a fifth just four minutes later.
The home fans began to leave the stadium in droves, with little hope of a comeback.
Miguel Almiron added a sixth goal for Newcastle in the 68th minute, followed by Bruno Guimaraes in the 79th minute.
Alexander Isak completed the rout with a goal in the 87th minute, after a defensive error from Tom Davies.
Following the match, Heckingbottom admitted that it had been a bad week for his team and that the nature of the performance was particularly upsetting.
He highlighted the lack of organization that had led to the team conceding so many goals and suggested that there was much to learn from the defeat.
For Sheffield United, the result was a bitter blow, as they sank to the bottom of the Premier League table, still without a win since their return to the top flight.
Newcastle, on the other hand, rose to eighth place, following back-to-back victories.
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Despite concerns that their European campaign might impact their domestic form, Newcastle showed no signs of fatigue, following their midweek draw with AC Milan.
Instead, they put in a dominant performance against Sheffield United, with Anthony Gordon in particular impressing for the visitors.
Gordon’s assist for Newcastle’s opening goal was the second-earliest ever by a substitute in the Premier League, and he was named player of the match for his outstanding performance.
The result was a deeply damaging one for Sheffield United, who had never lost a match at Bramall Lane by such a margin in their history.
Never before in the club’s history had Sheffield United conceded eight goals on their own patch. Not since 1956 when Rotherham scored seven had it been this bad, and then Isak made it worse.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp said: “I have so much sympathy for the manager. He has to stand at the sideline and give his all. That is a dark place for any manager. He will be so low right now.
“You should never lose a game 8-0. They’ve been in every game of this Premier League season. There was a lack of quality but also at times, which is quite damning, there was a lack of effort. You can’t do that.”
Jamie Carragher called the defending “horrific” on a “devastating night” for the club. Somehow, they must find the steel this city is renowned for to pick themselves up from the canvas.
It remains to be seen what the long-term repercussions of such a defeat will be for the team, but it is clear that they have much work to do if they are to turn their season around.
For Newcastle, however, the victory was a welcome boost and a sign that they are capable of competing at the highest level.
