Newcastle United’s 5-0 thumping by Manchester City on Wednesday is not an indication they have downed tools since securing Premier League survival, manager Steve Bruce has said.
Newcastle were missing a number of players, including influential winger Allan Saint-Maximin, and Bruce said injuries had contributed to the thrashing.
“We’ve not got our flip flops on,” Bruce said. “We were down to the bare bones. When you’re missing seven or eight (players), you’re going to find it difficult. “But despite that I expect us to be better and I demand we are better for the remaining games. It was too easy from the first minute to the last.”
Meanwhile, John Egan’s stoppage-time header earned Sheffield United a dramatic 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Bramall Lane.
In pouring South Yorkshire rain, both sides were evenly matched in the first half, with Ruben Neves coming closest to scoring for Wolves when a trademark free kick hit the crossbar. Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp did have the ball in the net in the second half, but he was ruled offside, and George Baldock timed his run into the penalty area to perfection but headed wide.
Wolves did not have a shot on target in the second half, but they looked to have done enough to secure a point.
Deep into stoppage time, however, Egan climbed highest to head home from a corner and spark jubilant scenes on the Blades’ bench. A second home win since the return of the Premier League after the coronavirus pandemic moved Sheffield United up to seventh in the standings, above Arsenal, and within a point of Wolves in sixth.
Looking to close the gap on Manchester United in fifth place, Wolves struggled to create any openings of note, and followed their home defeat by Arsenal with another loss.
