SHEFFIELD UNITED arrived at Selhurst Park still awaiting their first victory of the Premier League campaign and firmly rooted to the bottom of the table after a run of 17 winless games.

They were unable to break that duck against Crystal Palace as the home team ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. 

The Blades find themselves in a rut at the moment with the team looking void of confidence and creativity which was not assisted by the fact that they were missing nine first team players for the clash against the south Londoners, something the Blades boss was keen to highlight. 

“To lose nine players at any level, especially in the Premier League and the form that we are in, is not going to give us the best opportunity of getting the results that we are looking for,” said Chris Wilder.

It was the worst possible start to the game for the away team as it only took Roy Hodgson’s men three minutes to take the lead, courtesy of Jeffrey Schlupp’s second goal of the season.

Wilfried Zaha latched onto a long ball out to the left from the tireless Andros Townsend and initially seemed to get the ball stuck under his feet before digging out a pass to Christian Benteke on the edge of the Sheffield United penalty area. 

The Belgian striker’s first-time lay-off in the direction of Schlupp’s run was made all the better by an inadvertent deflection off the unfortunate Oliver Norwood, taking the ball perfectly into the Palace midfielder’s path. 

Schlupp’s right-footed finish found the bottom right-hand corner of Aaron Ramsdale’s net via the slightest of deflections, this time off the Blades captain John Egan as he desperately lunged to block the goal-bound shot.

Sheffield United’s problems were clear to see during a first-half where Wilder’s boys failed to trouble Vicente Guaita’s goal until the 40th minute when Jayden Bogle, making his first start for the South Yorkshire club following his goalscoring Premier League debut last time out at Brighton’s Falmer Stadium, tested the Palace keeper at his near post.

While you cannot question the application of Wilder’s side, they will need more than heart and desire to remain in the Premier League this season.

The willing front running of Lys Mousset and David McGoldrick did little to trouble the home side’s back line with Palace keeping their first clean sheet since the opening day of the Premier League season.

Sheffield United seem to lack the individual magic that can so often turn a hard-working performance into three points, the type of magic that ultimately wrapped up the game for Palace through Eberechi Eze’s wonderful solo goal.

Deep into first-half injury time, the Palace substitute, on for the injured Schlupp, picked up the ball just inside his own half before nonchalantly skipping past the challenge of Norwood and makeshift right-back Ethan Ampadu allowing him to bear down on the United box before calmly placing a low curling shot around both Egan and the despairing dive of Ramsdale. 

Wilder was quick to acknowledge the ability of the opposition’s forward line while also bemoaning the circumstances under which his team conceded the second goal.

“Palace have some incredible players at the top of the pitch and really good ones coming off the bench.

“For the second goal, the fourth official said: ‘That’s it’ about five times indicating the half was done, but the ref was never going to blow up once the lad’s picked up the ball.”