Sheffield United overcame one VAR incident to grab a point from Tottenham Hotspur in North London on Saturday.
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George Baldock scored in the second half after snake-bit David McGoldrick had a goal pulled back for a toenail’s worth of offside. Fine margins.
Spurs were again quite poor aside from Heung-min Son and some moments from Giovani Lo Celso. Son scored the goal.
Sheffield United remains sixth with 16 points, while Spurs also claim a 16th point but sit below their visitors on goal differential.
Three things we learned
1. VAR follows rules to perplex: Lundstram was offside by a toenail in the build-up, pulling back David McGoldrick’s goal that would’ve leveled the score at 1 (which of course it later was). The decision-making process slowed the game for several minutes, those thin lines calling back a goal that no team’s fans would feel was understandable. When is the moment the ball is struck, and how can you be certain enough to call it offside for centimeters.
2. Son continues to shine: Not only are puns really fun, but where would Spurs be this season without their South Korean star? Son scored a deserved goal and took six shots on the day, making three successful dribbles, and completing 21 of 23 passes.
3. Kane invisible: Maybe England’s star striker is still getting over the sickness that cost him a start against Everton, but Harry Kane was quite poor against the Blades’ disciplined back line. Good for just one shot and six of 12 passing. On a day when the two attackers underneath him were quite good, Kane was absent.
Man of the Match: McGoldrick -- Should’ve had his first Premier League goal but will settle for the assist, we suppose. His day must be coming.
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Giovani Lo Celso and Heung-min Son both came close for Spurs in a lively start, though cagey Sheffield United wasn’t overwhelmed by the venue either.
John Lundstram scuffed a 27th minute chance wide of the frame. Soon after, he smashed a Jack O’Connell cross off the post.
Son curled wide in the 50th minute as both sides started their second frames well, and in-form Lys Mousset turned Davinson Sanchez around before firing wide of the far post.
Dean Henderson made a fine save on Son in the 54th, but was left in a bad situation when abhorrent inactivity from the left side of his line gave the South Korean a clear cut chance. Given the day he was having, a goal felt inevitable.
But Blades had the ball in the net for an equalizer soon after, McGoldrick knifing home. A long VAR review followed for an offside in the build-up, and the slimmest of margins made it “clear and obvious” to... someone... that Lundstram was offside.
Baldock’s goal also had to withstand VAR review -- don’t they all -- when his shot took a slight turn off Ben Davies’ rear end to beat Paulo Gazzaniga.