Aston Villa 3-3 Sheffield United: Villans Mount Furious Comeback

Down 3-0 in the 82nd-minute, Tyrone Mings’ headed goal began a historic comeback at Villa Park. Subsequent tallies from Tammy Abraham and André Green meant points were shared on Friday evening.

No words will do justice to the comeback shown by Aston Villa on Friday. Down 3-0 in front of a what-would-be toxic environment, the claret and blues salvaged play-off hopes in twelve minutes, preventing Sheffield United form going top of the table in the process.

Lineups & First-Half:

Dean Smith made two changes to the starting XI as Mile Jedinak and Jonathan Kodjia entered for Glenn Whelan and Albert Adomah. The same pair would leave the pitch together in the 66th-minute, down 3-0. Jedinak was poor on the evening as Smith envisioned the towering Aussie shutting down Blades’ three centre-backs and two strikers on set pieces.

It, uh, did not take long for Chris Wilder’s side to strike first. Leading goalscorer Billy Sharp slotted home from a corner kick in the 11th-minute. The ball *barely*, barely fully crossed the line. Villa opened up a bit more in that attack thereafter, but never truly tested ‘keeper Dean Henderson before the first-half whistle blew.

1-0 Blades at the break with but few half-chances for the Villa.

Second-Half:

Both sides were unchanged after the break and Villa began with possession. Conor Hourihane cycled the ball effectively in the final third but creativity across the front-3 was lacking. Most chances came from low-percentage deep crossing. Billy Sharp added to Sheffield’s lead with a tap-in finish that may or may not have been claimed by Lovre Kalinic’s two hands. I didn’t have a problem with the no-call, if we’re being honest, but Sharp was OFFSIDE on the original shot.

That’s EFL refereeing for you.

Sharp secured his hat-trick ten minutes later. Dean Smith had seen enough and made the aforementioned double switch. It was bad, everyone was complaining, until Tyrone Mings headed home from a Hourihane corner. It was nothing but a consolation goal until John McGinn fired an excellent chance wide maybe 45 seconds later. Then Henderson parried a ball directly into Abraham’s path…making it 2-3 in the 86th.

THEN defender Jack O’Connell whiffed on a clearance. McGinn pounced on it, delivered a right-footed cross and André Green finished with authority.

3-3 at Villa Park. A match in which most won’t ever forget.