Ben Brereton Diaz on rewinding the clock to better times - with Sheffield United also doing the same in Premier League game against West Ham

Brereton Diaz scored for the first time on these shores in club colours since last May in the 2-2 Premier League draw with West Ham with the Blades’ performance also showcasing aspects traditionally associated with better times at Bramall Lane.United were intense, aggressive and also dominant on the ball, particularly in the first half.

A morale-booster arrived at the death, courtesy of Oli McBurnie’s equaliser deep into stoppage time, but there were elements to enthuse about before that.

The sight of Chilean international Brereton Diaz scoring his maiden goal for the club on his league debut was chief among them.Psychologically, it was an important moment for the 24-year-old, who netted a total of 19 goals for Blackburn Rovers and Chile last season and 25 in 2021-22.

Brereton Diaz, on loan for the rest of 2023-24 from La Liga outfit Villareal, said: "I’m buzzing for my first goal in the Premier League, that’s a great thing.

“But I thought it was a real team performance and I thought we dominated on the ball and we played some good stuff.

"The least we should have got was a point and we should have got three points. So it’s a positive step forward.

"I’m buzzing to be here, I’m so happy to play for Sheffield United and in the Premier League and in the next six months, I don’t know how many games there are left, but I just want to work hard for the team and hopefully get some good performances and score some goals.

"It definitely gives you a boost and I’m feeling really confident and really sharp, so hopefully we can take it as a team to the next game.”

The sight of McBurnie holding his nerve to score from the spot in the 13th minute of stoppage-time also provided a psychological fillip to a second Blades forward, who has now scored in successive home games. Brereton Diaz added: "It’s a pressure penalty and it was calm and collected. We know we need to get some wins and looking at the performance, we’re going in the right direction."