Sheffield United finally grab 1st league win of season vs. Newcastle

After a wait of over six months, Sheffield United have finally won another Premier League match.

The Blades beat Newcastle United 1-0 on Tuesday, earning their first three-point haul of the 2020-21 campaign in the club's 18th game.

Billy Sharp's 73rd-minute penalty was enough to make Sheffield United the last side to win a match across Europe's top five leagues. Chris Wilder's men now have five points - six fewer than the worst-ever points haul recorded by Derby County in 2007-08.

The only team Derby beat in that disastrous term was Newcastle.

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men shortly before halftime when Ryan Fraser's ill-advised swipe at David McGoldrick resulted in the Scotsman's second yellow card. However, the hosts still needed a spot-kick - awarded after VAR ruled Federico Fernandez handled the ball in the area - to seal an elusive victory.

This outing marks the Blades' first Premier League win without Paddy Kenny or Dean Henderson as their goalkeeper since 1994. The victory was also current shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale's first clean sheet since he played in Bournemouth's 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on July 9, 2020.

"I thought we played with a lot of confidence and this win can give us more belief. Everyone has written us off, the pressure is off," Sharp told Sky Sports post-match of Sheffield United's hopes of avoiding relegation.

"We've not had a great time in the last few months but we've got to keep our heads high now. We're good enough to do it."