Late McBurnie penalty earns Sheff Utd dramatic draw against West Ham
No PL side have ever survived after picking up as few as nine points from their first 19 games of a league season.
That is the scale of the task at hand for newly reappointed Chris Wilder, who saw his side get off to a strong start against European-chasing West Ham.
William Osula and Ben Brereton Díaz were willing runners in behind for a Blades side that threatened without troubling Alphonse Areola in the opening stages.
At the other end, Jarrod Bowen dragged a shot wide of the mark after Danny Ings had stolen the ball high up the pitch.
That was as close as the Hammers had come before taking the lead somewhat against the run of play midway through the half, with Maxwel Cornet capitalising on a deflected ball to net a close-range volley at the back post - his first goal for the Hammers.
However, on the brink of HT, the Blades found a deserved equaliser when Brereton Díaz pounced on Areola’s parry to convert on his debut.
Knowing a point would do little to ease their relegation worries, the Blades continued on the offensive after the restart and came agonisingly close to taking the lead when James McAtee’s cross narrowly evaded the toe of HT substitute McBurnie.
On the scoresheet for the first time this season, Brereton Díaz had a golden opportunity to add another, yet the Chile international scuffed his effort wide of the far post.
Each side’s goalscorer made way with at least 20 minutes still to play but there was still time for a winning goal.
Already on a yellow, Gustavo Hamer escaped a red card when he clumsily brought down Ings in the area, allowing Ward-Prowse to fire the visitors ahead from the spot.
In a dramatic ending, Rhian Brewster was dismissed for a reckless two-footed lunge late on before a second yellow saw Vladimír Coufal sent off for West Ham.
Unbelievably, deep into stoppage time, Sheffield United were handed a lifeline from the spot when Areola bundled into McBurnie.
The Hammers goalkeeper was forced off injured before McBurnie eventually fired in a precious equaliser to take the Blades to 10 points, leaving West Ham fans dismayed.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Danny Ings (West Ham United)
