Fearless Sheffield United eye champions Manchester City after thwarting Arsenal

The Blades came from 1-0 down to take a point at Arsenal on Saturday, setting them up well for tomorrow’s Premier League visit of Manchester City.

Manager Chris Wilder was critical of his side’s performance, and their passing in particular, but their mindset allows them to grind out points when not at their best.

Saturday’s came when substitute Robinson crossed for midfielder John Fleck to score his fifth goal this season.

“We are a little disappointed in our performance throughout the game but we take the point and move on,” said Robinson.

“We have this togetherness, not just among the players but also the staff. We just do not want to get beaten.

“I felt we could have won it, too, but for a deflection and a couple of blocks.”

Even with Arsenal dominating possession, Wilder made positive changes, introducing Billy Sharp and Mo Besic alongside Robinson.

Besic played the ball to Robinson, and Sharp’s pressure stopped Ainsley Maitland-Niles clearing his cross.

“Towards the end, there was me, Oli (McBurnie) and the skipper (Sharp) on the field; three attackers,” pointed out Robinson.

“We didn’t just want to sit in and try to get something from a corner. That is not how we do things.

“We just push on and our fitness helps. We can push on at the back end of games and get a result.”

The seventh-placed Blades already have 33 points in a division where 35 has been enough to avoid relegation in the last three season, but Robinson says there will be no letting up.

“The ability we have got means we deserve to be where we are,” he insisted.

“We want to keep pushing on game by game and get as many points as possible.

“We can’t relax at 33 points. We want to try get as high as possible, If the season ends at Southampton with us where we are, we will be buzzing.”

Even a game against Manchester City will be seen as an opportunity to add to that tally.

“We made some big chances at City (in December),” added Robinson. “Mouss (Lys Mousset) had a few and we had one or two towards the end, the skip (Sharp) hit the post.

“We’ll be going into it confidently and that’s what we do, we don’t fear anyone. That is the good thing about this group.

“They got 100 points in League One, then had two seasons in the Championship winning a lot of games.

“That brings a lot of positivity into the group.”

Wilder explained: “We haven’t got a lot of (Premier League) experience, or we didn’t, but we have a group that challenges each 
other.

“We aren’t a newly-promoted side that has been unbelievably backed financially.

“The key for us now is to keep the hammer down right until the end of the season.”

Report: Page 2