Wilder thrilled by Sheffield's first win

LONDON • Sheffield United remain rooted at the bottom of the Premier League and face Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City next but nothing could dampen the joy of a first win of the season on Tuesday.

Billy Sharp's second-half penalty proved enough to secure a 1-0 triumph over 10-man Newcastle, who had Ryan Fraser sent off, snapping a 17-match winless streak in the league.

It was thoroughly deserved and their football was reminiscent of last season when Chris Wilder's side challenged for a European spot before finishing ninth.

Even during this campaign, in which they had lost 15 and drawn two of their first 17 games, the Blades have not suffered any real drubbings, although points have proved elusive.

Wilder summed up his feelings after the whistle.

"(186 days without a win...) I have been counting! Every minute of every hour of every day! It feels good, I'm delighted," he said.

"We should have got more results, we know that, but the performance was good. We played with the identity that has been the way for the last few years."

At Molineux, Everton claimed a sixth win from nine away games this season as Michael Keane's late header earned them a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Alex Iwobi opened the scoring before Ruben Neves replied for Wolves.

The Toffees, however, dug deep despite missing injured top scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Everton have nine headed goals this season, more than any other team in the top flight - with Keane hailing their set plays as "a massive threat".

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 14, 2021, with the headline Wilder thrilled by Sheffield's first win. Subscribe