Chris Wilder refuses to 'moan and groan' as Sheffield United hunt for Premier League boost against Chelsea

The Blades manager guided his team to a top-half finish last season but has seen them pick up just one point from seven games so far this campaign

• 

  SHEFFIELD UNITED RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale – 8: Saved three early chances – two from Torres and one from Rodrigo – all hit straight at him but did what he needed to do. Got hand to Walker's shot but couldn’t stop it going into the bottom corner. Showed good concentration to save De Bruyne free-kick that went under the defensive wall. AFP

• 

  Chris Basham – 6: Along with Baldock, skinned by Sterling in run-up to opener. Found City’s pace and quality tough to deal with. Tried pushing forward more after the break. Good challenge to halt Foden's run on goal in injury-time. Getty

• 

  John Egan – 6: Vital touch to stop De Bruyne's through ball that put Sterling clean through after 15 minutes. Nutmegged by Sterling as the England attacker set-up chance for Torres. Reuters

• 

  Enda Stevens – 6: Important block to stop Torres' shot during one of City’s numerous counter-attacks in the opening half. A tough afternoon against a good City team performance. AP

• 

  George Baldock – 5: Struggled to deal with an electric Sterling and was turned inside out in build-up to Walker goal. Mahrez did the same on the other flank soon after. But, to be fair, also made some vital blocks and produced some surging runs and crosses of his own down the right. AFP

• 

  Sander Berge – 6: Relieved to see Ramsdale save when he jumped over Sterling's free-kick. Good cross to almost set-up Brewster with a first-half header but his distribution was a mix of wonderful and wasteful. Superb run down right to provide Lundstram a golden chance with 20 minutes to go. Reuters

• 

  Ethan Ampadu – 5: Struggled to cope with City’s marauding counter-attacks in the first half and slack in possession at times. Replaced with 25 minutes to go. PA

• 

  Ben Osborn – 5: Little impact as City dominated the midfield as was hooked before the hour mark. Reuters

• 

  Max Lowe – 6: Second time he has started in the league for the Blades, wasted some good crossing opportunities from left and found Mahrez the usual handful. Should have been booked for poor challenge of De Bruyne. PA

• 

  Rhian Brewster – 5: The new-signing from Liverpool received little supply from his teammates and little change out of the City defence. A lot to ask of a 20-year-old new to Premier League football to lead the line in a struggling team. AP

• 

  Ollie McBurnie – 6: Toiled away but, like Brewster, found the going tough and the Blades were guilty of not getting crosses over to their strikers quick enough. Frustrated by slow final ball of teammates. Getty

• 

  SUBS: John Lundstram - (On for Osborn 55’) 5: Midfielder, who could be leaving the club in January, fired a great chance over the bar. Getty

• 

  Oliver Norwood – (On for Ampadu 65’) 5: Little impact. AFP

• 

  David McGoldrick – (On for Lowe 81’) N/A. PA

• 

  MANCHESTER CITY RATINGS: Ederson – 7: A spectator for much of the game with very little to do but was on his toes to stop a Brewster shot in the second half that would have been given offside anyway had it gone in. Ludicrously good long pass off ground that had opposite number Ramsdale scampering off line to deny a City goal late on. AP

• 

  Kyle Walker – 7: Brilliant low drive from outside the area that flew into the bottom corner for the opening goal against boyhood team. Surging run down right just after the break helped set-up chance for De Bruyne. Looks in good form at the moment. AFP

• 

  Ruben Dias – 8: Impressive display against a physical player in McBurnie. During the first-half, the Portuguese defender showed he can cope with a wet afternoon in Sheffield. Looks like the organiser at the back manager Guardiola needed. AFP

• 

  Aymeric Laporte – 7: Rushed a good chance from a De Bruyne corner after 13 minutes and fired wide but looked solid defensively, which is more important, and partnership with Dias is very promising for City. Reuters

• 

  Joao Cancelo – 8: Good ball over from left to supply early chance for Torres. Provided steady stream of chances for teammates. Furious with himself after being left for dead by Berge in the second half. AP

• 

  Rodrigo – 8: Blasted a wicked swerving shot from outside the area that Ramsdale could only parry away. Excellent performance in centre of the park, sweeping up loose balls and sending City away on attacks. AP

• 

  Bernardo Silva – 7: Played his part but is not having the same influence for City these days. One great bit of skill to set himself up with a chance in the last 10 minutes but could only shoot straight at Ramsdale. Reuters

• 

  Kevin De Bruyne – 8: Some beautiful trademark probing passes behind Blades defenders throughout. Cheeky free-kick under the wall saved by Ramsdale. Fired wide with a good chance on edge of the box 10 minutes after half-time. AP

• 

  Riyad Mahrez – 7: Outshone by Sterling on the opposite flank but still produced some moments of quality down the right wing. Free-kick saved down low by Ramsdale just before hour mark. Guilty of trying to walk the ball into net and holding on to the ball when others were better placed on occasions. Getty

• 

  Ferran Torres – 7: Enjoying his new central role, with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus injured, and saw two early chances saved by Ramsdale – one header and one shot from point-blank range. Lots of unselfish running and was constant handful. Deserved a goal in the first half, quiet in second. Reuters

• 

  Raheem Sterling – 9: Was virtually unplayable down the left in the first half and so hard to defend against in full-flow like this – as Baldock in particular can testify. Quieter after the break but always a threat. PA

• 

  SUBS: Phil Foden – (On for Torres 81’) N/A. AFP

• 

  Ilkay Gundogan – (On for Mahrez 85’) N/A. EPA

The calendar has pitted Sheffield United against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, the three sides Chris Wilder regards as the best in England, on three successive Saturdays.

His beloved club’s worst start to a season for 45 years feels a consequence of the worst injury problems of his time at Bramall Lane. Wilder nevertheless sounded unsympathetic to anyone looking for excuses.

“It is the Premier League,” he said. “There is no point moaning and groaning about it. If you want to moan and groin don’t win promotion or don’t stay up.

"There is no point moaning about the opposition or the fixture list. There is nothing in the players’ body language that suggests they are feeling sorry for themselves.”

Which is perhaps just as well. Saturday's trip to Stamford Bridge brings back memories of United's heady summer, when Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea became a trio of London teams defeated at Bramall Lane. But that emphatic 3-0 victory over Frank Lampard's side remains the Blades' last win.

Since then, Chelsea have given debuts to £220 million ($287.9m) of talent and United have taken a solitary point. “It is a rollercoaster and at the moment it is not going the way we want it to,” Wilder reflected.

Revelations last season, when they finished ninth, United have found it altogether tougher now. Asked if it is time to worry, Wilder jokingly replied: “I got worried about it after the first three minutes against Wolves.” United’s false start to the season entailed going a goal down in three minutes, and two adrift in six, against Wolves in their opening game.

And yet that remains the only game United have lost by more than one goal. The margins can be narrow. Wilder did not go gung-ho against Liverpool and City. He is defensive about his pragmatism.

“There are some quite naïve people out there who think we can go toe-to-toe with the big clubs,” he said. “If we had gone toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the first 15 or 20 minutes, you can possible be three or four goals down.”

_______________________________________________________________

Gallery: Sheffield United 0 Manchester City 1

• 

  Kyle Walker of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his team's winner in their 1-0 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday, October 31. EPA

• 

  Manchester City's Kyle Walker celebrates scoring with Rodrigo. Reuters

• 

  Kyle Walker fires home for City. EPA

• 

  Sheffield United's George Baldock closes down Joao Cancelo of Manchester City. EPA

• 

  Raheem Sterling on the attack for City. EPA

• 

  Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. AP

• 

  Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez runs the ball out of play. AFP

• 

  Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale saves from City's Raheem Sterling. AP

• 

  City's Kyle Walker under pressure form Rhian Brewster of Sheffield United. Getty

• 

  Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne on the attack. Reuters

_______________________________________________________________

“It is just about getting the balance right. We have shown in the last couple of games we are not going to sit back on the edge of our box and wait to get beaten.” That balance is difficult. Only seven teams have conceded fewer goals but no one has scored fewer than their three, and two of those were penalties.

“From a statistical point of view, all our key stats add up,” Wilder nevertheless said. Yet no one averages fewer shots or shots on target. It has been a tough start for Rhian Brewster, the club record signing in attack.

But the supply line has been disrupted. United were especially effective on the left last season but Jack O’Connell, the overlapping centre-back who was arguably their best player then, is out for the campaign. Wing-back Enda Stevens has moved infield to deputise while midfielder John Fleck has been sidelined.

“Big players have been out,” Wilder said. With first Oliver Norwood and then John Lundstram losing their places, United have lacked continuity.

But visiting Chelsea shows what they can do. Last August’s 2-2 draw, after being 2-0 down, was, according to defender Chris Basham, “the moment we felt we’d arrived in the Premier League.” Now they risk departing it.

“We are all hurting about the position we are in as we feel we can do better,” Wilder said. “We fought right against the odds right the way through to get into this division and to stay in this division and we are going to have to do it again. It is not just going to be given to us.”