Brentford 2 Sheff Utd 0: Bees ease relegation fears in crucial six-pointer but Blades staring drop in the face
OLIVER ARBLASTER scored his first Premier League goal but it only helped nudge Sheffield United closer to The Championship.
The Blades’ midfielder will forever remember this match for an own goal which summed up another miserable day for the top flight’s bottom club.
Teenager Arblaster has been thrown straight into a relegation battle after being recalled from loan at Port Vale in January.
And the Bramall Lane academy graduate provided one of the few highlights to a largely lifeless game by diverting the ball past his own keeper in some style as Brentford secured a win which lifts them seven points clear of the drop zone.
United were on the back foot for most of the match but looked to be holding out for a point that would have helped with pride at least as they are doomed to go down.
But on a day of firsts, sub Frank Onyeka also scored his maiden goal in the Premier League – stabbing home from close range three minutes into second half stoppage time – just 90 seconds after coming on.
But it wasn’t until two thirds of the way through that lacklustre Brentford managed to exert enough pressure to force a mistake from Chris Wilder’s side.
The home team broke free from defence with a run by right back Mikkel Damsgaard.
The Dane switched passes with Bryan Mbeumo and advanced into the Sheffield box.
He then aimed a cross into the centre of the box but the ball cannoned off Arblaster’s outstretched foot, totally wrong-footing keeper Ivo Grbic.
Damsgaard had the ball in the net just moments later with a classy volley from a free kick only for it to be ruled out for a foul by Nathan Collins on Ollie McBurnie.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER
Sheffield United arrived in West London with a dismal away record. Just one win on the road – at Luton in mid-February.
But Chris Wilder’s Jekyll and Hyde team can turn it on at times. Clawing their way back from the brink of defeat last weekend to draw 2-2 at home to Chelsea.
It’s the same with Brentford.
Last weekend’s stunning performance, earning a point in a 3-3 thriller at Aston Villa, then a sluggish start against a team down in all but name only.
It was the visitors who made the early running with Brereton Diaz bursting through on goal after ten minutes and forcing a one-handed save out of Bees’ keeper Mark Flekken.
But it was their only one on target of the entire first half.
The Chilean forward had another go later but his curling effort this time flew high and wide of the upright.
Brentford were only slightly better.
Following on from a cracking volleyed goal last week at Villa Park, Mbeumo was their standout player again – at least in the first half.
But it was centre forward Neal Maupay who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first 45 minutes.
The chance came from sloppy clearance work by United. A short pass from Grbic to Anel Ahmedhodzic to the edge of the area should have been routine.
But the Bosnian defender made a mess of his clearance, which was intercepted by Mbeumo with a cheeky first time chip back towards goal, just ahead of Maupay.
The Frenchman managed to stretch and poke the ball past Grbic but as the Gtech Stadium held its collective breath, the ball bobbled wide of the post.
In United’s defence there wasn’t much to choose between them other than the calamitous error which led to their 23rd Premier League defeat of a wretched season.
At least Arblaster’s goal meant that Bees’ chief Thomas Frank could keep striker Ivan Toney on the bench while their captain rests a hip injury.
