EFL

Sheffield United return to Championship summit as Norwich thump Plymouth

By Sports Desk November 26, 2024

Sheffield United went back to the top of the Championship following a 3-0 victory over Oxford United at home on Tuesday.

The result was a fifth victory in six matches for Chris Wilder's side, whose only dropped points in that sequence came in a 2-2 draw away to Coventry City last Saturday.

Callum O'Hare got things going for the Blades by scoring his first goal for the club on 10 minutes, before Tyrese Campbell doubled their lead with his fifth strike in six matches.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi added the third in the second half, and they have now won seven in a row at Bramall Lane without conceding. They lead second-placed Burnley by two points, while Oxford are 18th and two points above the relegation zone after picking up one win in 12.

Elsewhere, Norwich City got their play-off charge back on track with a 6-1 victory at home to Plymouth Argyle.

Borja Sainz helped them on their way with a hat-trick, taking his tally to 15 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.

While the score was 2-1 at half-time, a second-half capitulation leaves Wayne Rooney's side just two places and two points above the relegation zone with teams below them to play on Wednesday.

Burnley got themselves back in second with a 2-0 victory over Coventry at Turf Moor.

Jeremy Sarmiento and CJ Egan-Riley both scored in the second half to give Scott Parker's side three points, while Coventry are 17th and two points off the relegation zone.

As a result of Burnley's result, Sunderland slipped to third in the table after missing the chance to maintain their lead at the top of the table.

Regis Le Bris' side were held to a goalless draw at home to West Brom in a game that had just two shots on target. As a result, the Baggies remain seventh in the table, level on points with sixth-placed Middlesbrough having played a game more.

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    Star of the show De Ketelaere teed up Mateo Retegui for a ninth-minute opener, though Silvere Ganvoula quickly responded for Young Boys.

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    De Ketelaere scored his first in the 28th minute when a corner was flicked to him, and he managed to squeeze in a low shot on the turn.

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    De Ketelaere capped off a dominant first half with his third assist, setting up Retegui once more.

    Atalanta's fifth, and De Ketelaere's second, arrived 11 minutes after the restart as he drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box, with some help from a deflection, and Lazar Samardzic made it six in stoppage time.

    Data Debrief: King Charles 

    De Ketelaere became the eighth player to be directly involved in five goals in a single Champions League match.

    He is the first Belgian to do so and the first for an Italian side.

    De Ketelaere is just the third player to assist three goals in the first half of a Champions League game, after Ryan Giggs for Manchester United against Roma in April 2007 and Carlos Martins for Benfica against Lyon in November 2010.

    This was, unsurprisingly, Atalanta's biggest margin of victory in a major European match, while the 6-1 defeat was Young Boys’ joint-biggest home defeat in such competitions, along with their 5-0 loss to Hamburger SV in November 1960.

  • 'We wanted to make a statement' – Arteta revels in thumping win over Sporting 'We wanted to make a statement' – Arteta revels in thumping win over Sporting

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