Aston Villa 0 Sheffield United 0 - Premier League’s new normal, same old errors

Sheffield United had gotten to quite like the old Premier League normal, except for the endless arguments about technology, and unfortunately it was that which ultimately decided an otherwise subdued and goalless game that ushered in football’s return.

Oliver Norwood’s free-kick just before half-time was carried over the goalline by Orjan Nyland, but referee Michael Oliver trusted the goalline technology, which was not working.

The Premier League later explained: “The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender and goalpost. This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the Hawkeye goal line technology system has been in operation.”

In the new normal, even official statements contain new words.

Even the weather was strange as the masked journalists queued up to hand in their health questionnaires and have their temperatures taken. Fortunately the lightning and heavy rain had stopped by the time the football started. After 100 days away, the Premier League was back.

English top-flight football is all about raw passion, but with a coronavirus pandemic still killing people on a daily basis, Villa Park had no choice but to be extremely sterile. Still, before the first half was over, a fairly dull match had at least thrown up a major talking point thanks to the faulty technology which denied Chris Wilder’s side a victory that would have moved them into the Champions League places.

As the players warmed up, Villa’s tannoy pumped out music at a volume which made you wonder if they realised this was a behind-closed-doors game. The teams were announced and flashed up on the scoreboard even though everyone who needed to surely knew them by now. The spaced-out press, the only media not sat in a press box were broadcasters and analysts, had been handed team-sheets as they carefully nursed their laptop batteries in the plug-free seats.

But when Sheffield United’s players emerged from the tunnel alone to start the game, “Hi Ho Silver Lining” was switched off and replaced with an ominous heartbeat.

That apart, the only noise was the echoing clap of captain Billy Sharp as the players were directed to line up two metres apart for the Premier League anthem – but no handshakes.

Even the Blades personnel was unusual, central defender Jack O’Connell missing his first Premier League start of the season, and January signing Jack Robinson making a top-flight debut in his place. John Fleck was injured too, another victim of the hell-for-leather training of players champing at the bit to get going again.

Next came the Blades substitutes to a faintly ridiculous fanfare.

Even a minute’s silence for those who have died in the pandemic was odd, its conclusion greeted only by a smattering of claps, not the usual gutteral roar.

When the first whistle blew, all 22 players and the referee immediately took a knee before Sharp actually got the game underway. It was a nod to the message on the back of the shirts: “Black Lives Matter”. The front bore a heart-shaped thank you to the NHS.

The game itself was eery and flat. Villa manager Dean Smith watched from the stands but most of the shouting came from the sides rather than the pitch.

That was because Villa had started the better, but without any ruthlessness. It was Villa’s former Barnsley midfielder Conor Hourihane who forced the first save. Keinan Davis should at least have done the same with a header from the right.

The Blades upped the ante a little after a drinks break midway through the half and when Norwood sent in a free-kick just before the interval, Nyland carried it over the line.

The problem was, in the 21st century, officials are told to trust the technology over their own eyes and when the device on Oliver’s arm did not buzz, the goal was not given despite clear television evidence that it ought to have.

Villa might have compounded the frustration had Davis been able to stretch to an Anwar El Ghazi cross from Jack Grealish’s wonderful pass, or had Henderson not pulled off a fantastic save when the home captain laid the ball off to John McGinn.

Despite only making three of their permitted five substitutions, the Blades finished the stronger, John Lundstram having a shot smothered and Oli McBurnie producing a towering header from the corner.

This was the Blades’ first game for 102 days and it showed. They should be better for it and are now up to sixth with a nine-game sprint about to start.

Aston Villa: Nyland; Konsa (El Mohamady 76), Hause, Mings, Targett; Hourihane, Douglas Luiz; El Ghazi (Trezeguet 68), McGinn (Nakamba 76), Grealish; Davis (Samatta 68). Substitutes: Taylor, Baston, Jota, Reina, Vassilev.

Sheffield United: Henderson; Basham, Egan, J Robinson; Baldock, Berge (L Freeman 68), Norwood, Lundstram, Stevens; McBurnie (Mousset 80), Sharp (McGoldrick 68). Substitutes: Jagielka, K Freeman, Osborn, Clarke, Moore, Rodwell.

Referee: M Oliver (Ashington).

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