Aston Villa 1-1 Sheffield United highlights and ratings after dramatic draw

Aston Villa blew the chance to go top of the Premier League and needed Nicolo Zaniolo’s late goal to rescue a 1-1 draw against struggling Sheffield United. The substitute levelled in stoppage time just as Cameron Archer’s 87th-minute strike looked to have given the Blades a stunning smash and grab win. Villa needed victory to go top but now sit second, behind Arsenal on goal difference.

The Blades, meanwhile, climbed off the bottom of the table after coming so close to a brilliant, resilient, victory. Leon Bailey had a goal disallowed and the hosts had three penalty claims rejected by VAR as they failed to make their dominance count. It was supposed to be Villa’s ascension to the top of the Premier League, somewhere they had not been, outside the opening weeks of the season, since December 1998.

The contrast could not have been more different from three-and-a-half years ago when Villa drew 0-0 with the Blades and sat second bottom following the first game of the Premier League’s ‘Project Restart’ after the Covid outbreak. Back then, in an empty stadium, Villa were fortunate to avoid defeat after Orjan Nyland fumbled Oliver Norwood’s free-kick over the line, only for referee Michael Oliver’s watch to fail to signal a goal. It was a pivotal point in Villa’s fight for survival which, ultimately, gave them the platform to build.

The fact they missed their chance to go above Arsenal will not diminish their progress, although boss Unai Emery was noticeably angry at full-time after being frustrated by the gutsy visitors.

Follow the action from Villa Park below…