Sheffield United 1-1 Norwich City: Blades Lacked Rhythm As Visitors Almost Steal it Late | OneFootball

Sheffield United will feel mixed emotions after they earned a point with a 1-1 draw at home against Norwich City on Tuesday night.

After a frustrating first half, Danny Ings steered the Blades in front on the 50th minute with a tap-in in front of the Kop after neat work from Tahith Chong at the byline. However, the visitors got an equaliser when Djibril Soumare failed to clear his lines and ended up putting the ball into his own net.

The Blades made a plethora of changes to the starting eleven with several players either ill or banged up. Chris Wilder handed midfielder Oliver Arblaster his first appearance since sustaining his ACL injury against Sheffield Wednesday back in November 2024.

Lineups

Blades: Cooper, Tanganga, Arblaster (Hamer 58), Bindon, Cannon (Campbell 72), Ings (Bamford 65), O’Hare (Matos 72), Burrows, Soumaré, Chong (Brooks 58), Seriki.Unused: A. Davies, Zatterstrom, Oné, Curtis.

Norwich: Kovacevic, Medic, Mattson, Sargent (Forson 44), McConville, Wright (Slimane 71), McLean (Marcondes 45), Makama (Jurasek 83), Schwartau (Mundle-Smith 62), Fisher, Springett (Chrisene 62).

Unused: Grimshaw, Duffy, Adelusi.

First Half

Tom Cannon saw an early effort blocked after linking neatly with Femi Seriki, who had been released down the right by the striker. Almost immediately, the visitors threatened in response, with Wright dragging a low shot wide of Michael Cooper’s post.

United survived a major scare midway through the half when Ings was forced to clear off the line from a Sargent header, Cooper beaten as the ball looped goalwards.

Harrison Burrows came close with a dipping free-kick that forced Kovacevic into a fingertip save. From the resulting corner, Ings should have put the Blades ahead but nodded over the bar at the back post with the goalkeeper stranded. He then volleyed over from a Chong cross as United pushed for a breakthrough moments before half-time.

Second Half

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: Danny Ings of Sheffield United scores his team’s first goal past Vladan Kovacevic of Norwich City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Norwich City at Bramall Lane on December 09, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The Blades came out firing after the restart and almost scored inside sixty seconds, Burrows drilling a low cross through the six-yard box, only for both Cannon and Chong to narrowly miss the decisive touch.

The pressure finally told when Danny Ings turned home Chong’s neat delivery from close range, capping a well-worked move down the right and ending his long wait for a goal.

Arblaster, who had been industrious in midfield, lasted 58 minutes before being replaced by Hamer. Brooks also entered the fray, with Chong making way shortly after the assist.

But the visitors hit back on 65 minutes. Makama pounced on a loose ball inside the box, his effort ricocheting off Soumaré for an unfortunate own goal that levelled the contest, with United having multiple opportunities to clear the ball.

United attempted to respond immediately. Hamer fired a thunderous strike from the angle of the penalty area, drawing a scrambling save from Kovacevic, and from the resulting corner substitute Bamford headed over at the far post under pressure.

As the Blades pushed forward in search of a late winner, they were nearly punished on the break. Forson burst clear in the closing moments from a counterattack from United’s own corner, only for Michael Cooper to produce a vital fingertip stop as the ball glided just past the bottom left-hand corner to preserve the draw.

Sheffield United will feel frustrated that they didn’t capitalise on a 1-0 lead against a threadbare and out of form Norwich City. Yet, they’ll feel a sense of relief as the visitors could’ve stolen all three points in the dying moments.

The Blades, now unbeaten in six, will travel to West Bromwich Albion on Friday night.