Sheffield United 2-2 West Ham United
Premier League, Bramall Lane, Sunday 21 January 2024, 2pm GMT
Maxwel Cornet’s first goal for the club and a second-half James Ward-Prowse penalty weren’t enough to help West Ham United earn a full share of the spoils away at Sheffield United, with a dramatic Bramall Lane encounter finishing 2-2.
Ivory Coast international Cornet made it 1-0 close to the half-hour mark, but Blades league debutant Ben Brereton Díaz ensured the scores were level at half-time with a 44th-minute strike.
Ward-Prowse took his chance to slot home his fourth goal of the season from 12 yards with only eleven minutes left, but after both teams were reduced to ten men - with Rhian Brewster and Vladimír Coufal both being sent for an early bath - Oli McBurnie converted an equalising spot-kick at the death for Chris Wilder’s charges.
A draw stretches the Hammers’ unbeaten run in the Premier League to five games, while lifting them to within five points of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, ahead of a clash against AFC Bournemouth back at London Stadium on 1 February.
Boss David Moyes made three changes to the XI that started the Emirates FA Cup defeat at Bristol City last time out, with Alphonse Areola, Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals coming in for Łukasz Fabiański, Aaron Cresswell and Saïd Benrahma.
Both teams struggled to establish control of possession in the early stages, and the first whiff of an opportunity didn’t arrive until the eighth minute, when a deep William Osula cross evaded everyone inside the away box.
A tame Gustavo Hamer shot bobbled wide moments later, but Areola was required to make a save shortly after the ten-minute mark when Vinícius Souza drove an attempt straight at the Frenchman.
It wasn’t long before the Hammers served an example of their threat however, when Ings beat goalkeeper Wes Foderingham to a Tomáš Souček flick-on, but just couldn’t finish, and then a Kurt Zouma header and a Bowen effort had the visiting fans on the edge of their seats.
The West Ham wall stood up well to get in the way of a Hamer free-kick from a dangerous position with 16 minutes on the clock, while all in blue could look on comfortably in the following seconds as youngster Andre Brooks blasted over wildly.
A late offside flag spared Sheffield United’s blushes in the 22nd minute - after Osula had failed to convert from point-blank range - before Areola contributed another strong save to deny Brereton Díaz in the wake of some neat Brooks footwork.
But it was the Irons who broke the deadlock back at the other end in the 28th minute, Cornet emphatically opening his account for the club - on his 31st outing - with a first-time finish from a tight angle after an Ings shot deflected into his path.
The lively Osula spearheaded the Blades’ search for a quick response, though West Ham’s backline successfully weathered a storm void of clear-cut chances, and Bowen and Ings had close-range opportunities to make it 2-0.
The last say of the half would go the way of the hosts though, with Brereton Díaz duly making it 1-1 with a volleyed finish after reacting first to an Areola save from an angled Osula effort.
Buoyed by the swing in momentum, Sheffield United enjoyed a succession of half chances early in the second period, with James McAtee knocking in a dangerous cross and Auston Trusty heading over the crossbar.
Half-time sub McBurnie fizzed a shot over at the second attempt - after his header across goal was blocked - and just before the hour mark Brereton Díaz really should have grabbed his second of the day when he skewed wide one-on-one.
Dinos Mavropanos headed off target with little over 20 minutes left, as Moyes’ charges searched for the lead, not long before Ings forced Foderingham into a low save from the edge of the area.
England international Ings then earned West Ham the chance to go 2-1 in front when he was felled by Hamer in the box, following a clever turn, and Ward-Prowse made no mistake from the penalty spot, blasting the ball into the middle of the net.
The late drama continued in South Yorkshire, when a Brewster yellow card - for a heavy challenge on Emerson - was upgraded to a red by referee Michael Salisbury, and then Coufal was similarly given his marching orders for a second yellow.
Deep into added time, Sheffield United were awarded a penalty of their own following a tangle involving McBurnie, and the Scotland international then beat late introduction Fabiański to ensure the honours ended even.
Sheffield United: Foderingham, Bogle, Ahmedhodzic ©, Robinson, Trusty (Norrington-Davies 80), Souza (Norwood 88), McAtee, Hamer, Brooks (Brewster 80), Brereton Díaz (Archer 67), Osula (McBurnie 46)
Subs: Amissah (GK), Osborn, Seriki, Buyabu
Goals: Brereton Díaz 44, McBurnie pen 90+13
Booked: Hamer, Brooks, Ahmedhodzic
Sent-off: Brewster
West Ham United: Areola (Fabiański 90+12), Coufal, Zouma ©, Mavropanos, Emerson, Cornet (Johnson 70), Souček, Ward-Prowse, Fornals, Ings (Mubama 90+6), Bowen
Subs: Cresswell, Ogbonna, Casey, Marshall, Scarles, Orford
Goals: Cornet 28, Ward-Prowse pen 79
Booked: Ward-Prowse
Sent-off: Coufal
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Attendance: 29,164
