ARTEX-i4232

We may only be in November, and we’ve just passed the quarter-of-a-season mark, but Sheffield United travelling to West Bromwich Albion had ‘relegation six-pointer’ written all over it.

We could all be forgiven for allowing this thought to enter our minds. After all, six points was a higher total than the two teams had collected from their opening nine games – combined. The Blades had managed a solitary point from a possible 27, which left them propping up the rest of the league.

So, going into Saturday night’s big clash, both sets of fans would have been faced with one grim thought: whoever loses this game is doomed. While not completely irrational, it’s not entirely true, either.

Whoever wins will probably still go down, anyway. Both teams have looked miles out of their depth at times this year, and although they’ve put in the odd spirited display, they’ve been let down by a severe lack of quality.

It spoke volumes of the state of both sides that their big summer signings were watching the opening exchanges from the bench. Grady Diangana and Rhian Brewster cost almost £40m between them, but neither player has shown he has what it takes at this level thus far.

Two big risks from teams without a bottomless pool of riches, and decisions which could seem even more foolish come the end of the season.

Plenty at stake going into kickoff, then.

And in fairness, the match was as nervy, tense and hard-fought as you’d expect. Both teams gave it their all and left everything on the pitch. In the end, they would only be separated by a moment of quality or a slice of fortune.

Of course, it was the latter on this occasion – purely because the lack of genuine match-winning quality on the field left little chance of the game igniting into life.

West Brom were on the receiving end of Lady Luck’s charm this time round, as Conor Gallagher’s tame shot from the edge of the box deflected and crept past Aaron Ramsdale into the bottom corner. It was a poor start to the game for Sheffield United, and one from which they failed to bounce back.

Once again, they had their chances. It wasn’t a defensive masterclass from the Baggies, more an apparent phobia of hitting the net from the visitors. A wise man (Homer Simpson) once said, “You tried and you tried and you failed miserably, the lesson is: never try.”

George Baldock probably wishes he’d taken that advice. The wing-back gambled and got himself into a great scoring position, as the Blades carved out one of the classic plays which made them so successful last year. Unfortunately, his finish was very much in form with the Sheffield United 2020/21 era.

A late flurry of chances, including a double clanger from substitutes Brewster and Lys Mousset meant that West Brom just about clung on to the three points, lifting them out of the bottom three (for the time being).

As for Sheffield United, they remain very much bottom of the table, one point from ten matches, and completely cut adrift from their fellow stragglers. The plan which proved so effective for Chris Wilder last season has been sussed by their opponents, and when that’s in the bin, all that’s left is the quality of the individuals.

That quality, is Championship level – and that’s where the Blades will be heading if they don’t sort out this mess.

And West Brom? Well, they can enjoy the three points and smile at the Premier League table. They boast some nice, intelligent players in their team in Matheus Pereira and Conor Gallagher, while the new-found defensive solidity will be music to Slaven Bilic’s ears.

The absence of a proper goalscorer remains a concern though, and they’ll have to rely on edging 1-0 victories more often than not if they are to survive. That’s easier said than done.

So, there is a winner of this six-pointer after all. But on Saturday’s evidence, both teams may end up being losers come May 2021.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed that striker Sergio Aguero is struggling to come to terms with the death of Diego Maradona.

Maradona, a footballing icon who is widely considered to be the greatest to ever play the game, died on Wednesday aged 60 following a heart attack. His death sparked an outpouring of grief globally, with three days of mourning announced in his native Argentina.

The late Argentine legend had been Aguero’s father-in-law during his marriage to daughter Giannina – mother of the City man’s son Benjamin.

The 32-year-old also played under Maradona during his time as Argentina national team manager.

Aguero came on for City late in the 1-0 Champions League victory at Olympiacos on Wednesday, with the news of Maradona’s death only breaking shortly before kick off.

Speaking ahead of the Citizens’ Premier League encounter with Burnley, Guardiola admitted his striker was finding it ‘tough’.

“Of course it’s difficult for me to talk about his feelings,” he said, as quoted by the Independent.

“I saw him good but the impact on the day of the game against Olympiacos was hard, especially for his son.

“Of course it was tough, that’s normal. He knew Maradona quite well and, for his son, he was his grandfather.

“It is a sad situation, unfortunately, for his family but he’s OK.”

Aguero is currently working his way back from both knee and hamstring injuries, but Guardiola added that he does not want to rush City’s record goalscorer back into action, with both Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres performing well as the central striker in his absence.

“He’s going to give us good moments this season,” the Catalan continued.

“He is still not in his best condition but we cannot forget how long his injury was. Then he came back and was injured again.

“In the middle of the season he is a guy who needs to be so sharp to score goals in the box but we don’t have doubts.

“He needs a little time to get it and, in training and with the minutes, he will. Then he will still have seven months ahead to show it.”

City host Burnley at 3pm on Saturday looking to move out of the bottom half of the Premier League following a tricky start to the season.