Sheffield United out of League Cup on penalties but talking point is Jack Robinson's tackle

That was all that separated the sides after a 1-1 draw and a penalty shoot-out where the Scotland forward was the only player unable to convert.

Burnley will face Millwall in the third round of the League Cup. The Blades are out at the first hurdle, but their outfield signings all showed their worth to a manager looking to up the competition in his squad this season.

The match was overshadowed by Jack Robinson's challenge on Johan Berg Gudmonsson, which ended the winger's evening in horrible fashion. Robinson's follow-through, planting his studs high on the Gudmundsson's legs was reckless enough that it might have been sent off irrespective of the intent. As it was, Paul Tierney deemed it careless, not reckless and kept his cards in his pockets and with video assistant referees not involved at this stage of the competition, that was that.

After four minutes of treatment, Gudmondsson was stretchered from the pitch. “All the best for your recovery, Johann”, the Blades quickly tweeted.

It distracted from a positive start to the game by the visitors, with two of their five debutants particularly impressive.

The on-loan Ethan Ampadu, picked on the right of a back three, showed some nifty footwork to get himself out of trouble when Robbie Brady pressed him in the opening minutes, and took his confidence from there, producing some good passes, if not quite the overlapping Chris Basham has made a trademark. With a weary Jayden Bogle making way for the final few minutes, Ampadu finished up at wing-back.

Left wing-back Max Lowe was involved in the opening goal, a lovely move which saw the ball swept from the tight touchline out to his, Robinson playing him in for a cross David McGoldrick guided beautifully inside the near post. For some reason, cup goals come much easier to the centre-forward, but Blades fans will be hoping that after a difficult season when it came to Premier League goalscoring – if not performances – this was a signal that 2020-21 will be more productive.

Burnley-born Oliver Norwood was the only starter who had been in the XI which lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday, but was used in a slightly different role, he and Sander Berge playing the opposite way around to how they normally do in tandem – the Norwegian given his preferred holding role, Norwood a slightly more advanced one to his right. The pair linked well throughout.

Oliver Burke, another summer signing, was alongside McGoldrick and it was noticeable how those in pink were keen to clip the ball over Burnley's back four to use his pace, albeit that it did not quite come off before he was substituted as Wilder changed his front two just after the hour. One such pass from Ampadu found him at the byline after eight minutes, but there was no one to cross to. It was a similar story when a good bit of skill gave Lowe the space to deliver.

McGoldrick had a shot parried by Nick Pope after a good run by Ben Osborn, cajoled on by manager Chris Wilder. Osborn won a free-kick when fould by the touchline after being picked out by Berge's dinked pass and Norwood fizzed in a free-kick Pope had to palm away to prevent him scoring direct.

The Clarets came into the first half as it progressed, Jay Rodriguez just failing to get a touch to Matt Lowton's wonderfully fired-in cross and Wes Foderingham fortunate Matej Vydra was flagged offside as he cleaned him out in the penalty area.

Their improvement continued into the second half, Brady stroking the ball against the post when he ought to have beaten Foderingham after being released into the space behind Robinson by Erik Pieters.

It felt like an equaliser was coming and it was both direct and beautifully executed, Rodriguez leaping so high he chested Lowton's cross into the path of Vydra, who finished well.

The Blades got their second wind in the final quarter, with Lowe, again, and substitute Oli McBurnie prominent. First he had a cross cleared, then he cut inside to feed the striker, whose effort was blocked.

A stretching Pope kept out Norwood's shot after a good move saw Berge lay the ball into his path. McBurnie had a shot deflected into the side-netting.

At the other end, Vydra glanced a Lowton cross wide.

Considering he had such a good game, it was ironic that Bogle almost helped to win it with a really poor shot, so bad it found McBurnie, whose effort was cleared in the 90th minute. There was no avoiding penalties.

Norwood was very keen to kick things off and did so by sending Pope the wrong way, before Chris Wood hammered down the middle to equalise.

Pope saved with his legs from McBurnie, and while Billy Sharp, Berge and Osborn put their penalties awat, so did Vydra, Josh Brownhill, Pieters and Brady.

Burnley: Pope; Lowton, Long, Dunne, Taylor; Gudmundsson (Pieters 14), Brownhill, Westwood (Benson 76), Brady; Vydra, Rodriguez (Wood 82).

Not used: McNeil, Peacock-Farrell, Bardsley, Thomas.

Sheffield United: Foderingham; Ampadu, Jagielka, Robinson; Bogle (Basham 87), Berge, Norwood, Osborn, Lowe; McGoldrick (Sharp 62), Burke (McBurnie 62).

Not used: Ramsdale, Slater, Bryan, Brunt.

Referee: P Tierney (Wigan).

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Thank you,

James Mitchinson