Sheffield United’s loan swoop for Mason Holgate has collapsed after Everton’s last-minute demand for a bigger fee.

The Toffees wanted the Blades to pay £250,000 after it was agreed the defender’s loan at Southampton would be cancelled and he would move to Bramall Lane, the PA news agency understands.

United had also agreed to cover a portion of the 27-year-old’s wages but fourth-bottom Everton wanted a late payment as the Blades are Premier League relegation rivals.

It saw the deal fall through – despite Holgate travelling to Yorkshire for a medical – and it remains to be seen if the move can be resurrected.

He remains at St Mary’s, although Southampton are open to cancelling his loan this month.

Holgate has only made six appearances for the Saints this season and has not featured in the Sky Bet Championship since October, with Russell Martin’s side on a record-equalling 20-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Blades boss Chris Wilder revealed his frustrations at failing to make any further additions before they host West Ham on Sunday.

They have only signed Ben Brereton Diaz on loan from Villarreal in their battle against relegation, with the club bottom on just nine points.

Wilder says he would not have asked his board for reinforcements if he thought there was no chance of avoiding the drop.

“Hopefully a couple more before the window shuts will make us stronger,” Wilder said. “We will be in a better place when the window shuts.

“We are quite frustrated because we felt we could have got them in for the weekend, the deadline was 12pm today but we have worked very hard in identifying a couple of potential signings coming in before next week.

“I always knew it wasn’t going to be a huge window in terms of big numbers coming in. Two or three was the targeted number and I believe we will reach the targets.

“I wouldn’t have asked the club to make those decisions if I didn’t think there was any fight left in us.

“There is definitely a huge fight left in myself and I have seen that in the players. If I didn’t think that I would say to the board, ‘Keep your powder dry and we’ll plan for another season in a different division’.

“That might still happen but it won’t be through a lack of fight and commitment.”

Blades skipper Anel Ahmedhodzic has been linked with a move to Napoli, but Wilder says there has been no bid.

“I have spoken to Anel about it, he is a grounded individual and he loves playing for Sheffield United,” he said. “I don’t think speculation is a bad thing.

“You’d rather be talked about than not talked about. It is speculation, I have not been told from above that there is a potential deal in the offing, it is noise.”

Stephen Clemence was proud of his Gillingham players despite going down 4-0 to the Premier League’s bottom side Sheffield United in the FA Cup.

Doubles from William Osula and James McAtee saw the Blades into the fourth round at the expense of their League Two opponents.

But the Gills gave as good as they got for large parts of the game and Clemence took heart from the performance.

“I’m proud of the boys, I’m proud of the way they applied themselves and proud of the way they tried to make an impact on the game,” said the Gillingham boss.

“At times we had to sit in and weather the storm, but when we did have the ball we tried to be positive. It’s very hard to work our patterns against a Premier League side, but on another day we’d have got a couple of goals.”

League Two’s least potent attack came close to opening the scoring when Conor Masterson beat his man and saw a goalbound shot blocked.

Oli Hawkins wasted a brilliant chance for the Gills when he miscued a first-half header and, at 2-0 down in the second half, skipper Max Ehmer’s effort struck the post.

“I never felt it was a 4-0, the boys are unlucky with that,” Clemence insisted. “If Max’s header goes in, the place would have erupted and it would have been a really interesting end to the game.

“But Premier League players don’t need many chances to score, and that’s one of the biggest differences playing against top teams. I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded – I wouldn’t want to concede them in a League Two game, I know that for sure.”

Osula’s opener came following a United break on 14 minutes, with his low effort going through the legs of Gills goalkeeper Jake Turner.

The Dane then capitalised on Turner’s poor parry from Femi Seriki’s shot to side-foot home for his second six minutes before half-time.

McAtee ended any doubts about the result on 83 minutes, as he beat the offside trap to meet Ollie Norwood’s pass and fire past the luckless Turner.

He completed the scoring with the best goal of the tie with three minutes remaining, blazing into the top corner from 20 yards after Gustavo Hamer’s short corner caught Gillingham napping.

The Blades, FA Cup semi-finalists last season, earned their first away win of the campaign in all competitions.

United manager Chris Wilder said: “We did a job, didn’t we? We knew they’d be spirited opponents and it was a great experience for our younger lads.

“Everybody in the world outside of Sheffield was expecting an upset today. We haven’t won a lot of games of football but this was a good afternoon’s work.

“Maybe it was a bit of kidology from me this week, but I always thought we’d do it. I know what these occasions are like; this is where you really get judged as a player. There weren’t any shortcuts in our approach to the game, and there weren’t any shortcuts on the pitch today.

“If we’d have let the crowd find their voice, we’d have felt their heat. But we never really allowed that, the way we kept the ball, the way we took our chances, and the way we defended when we had to.

“Winning is enjoyable for everybody today. I’m not going to be embarrassed about winning a game, I’m not going to be embarrassed for our reaction to it. We had to be good today and we were.”

Sheffield United cruised through to the FA Cup fourth round with a dominant 4-0 victory against League Two side Gillingham at Priestfield.

Danish striker Will Osula scored his first two goals for the Blades to put the Premier League’s bottom side in control at half-time before James McAtee’s quick-fire double late on earned last year’s semi-finalists their first away win in all competitions this season.

Blades manager Chris Wilder made five changes to his starting line-up for the game, but his side delivered an assured performance to avoid an upset and progress to round four with ease.

Osula’s opener came following a United break on 14 minutes, with his low effort going through the legs of Gills goalkeeper Jake Turner.

Turner’s fumble shortly after almost allowed Cameron Archer, one of those players who came into the United team for this game, to double the Yorkshire side’s advantage.

The Gills’ last FA Cup victory against top-tier opposition came five years ago against Cardiff, who also sat bottom of the Premier League upon their visit to Kent.

However, in front of a season-best crowd of 8,801, their afternoon went from bad to worse when Osula capitalised on Turner’s poor parry from Femi Seriki’s shot to side-foot home for his second six minutes before half-time.

Oli Hawkins wasted a brilliant chance for the Gills, League Two’s lowest scorers with just 21 goals in 25 games, when he miscued a header from Connor Mahoney’s corner 10 minutes after the break.

The Blades were also increasingly wasteful in front of goal, with McAtee and Archer flashing efforts over the bar, before the latter’s deflected shot on 63 minutes called Turner into action.

Gillingham’s best spell saw Mahoney test Wes Foderingham from distance, before Hawkins again failed to work the United goalkeeper with another header.

The hosts looked to have pulled themselves back into the tie 12 minutes from time when Max Ehmer’s glanced header crashed off the inside of the post, but the ball went back into play instead of over the line.

McAtee ended any doubts about the result on 83 minutes, as he beat the offside trap to meet Ollie Norwood’s pass and fire past the luckless Turner.

He completed the scoring with the best goal of the tie with three minutes remaining, blazing into the top corner from 20 yards after Gustavo Hamer’s short corner caught Gillingham napping.

Wilder sent new signing Ben Brereton Diaz on for his debut 20 minutes from time, but the Villarreal loanee was denied a first Blades goal by Turner in the final minute.

Pep Guardiola is looking forward to a quieter January after his all-conquering Manchester City side brought a hectic December to a satisfactory conclusion.

City played nine games in the final month of 2023, including two during their successful trip to Saudi Arabia for the Club World Cup.

It ended with a comfortable 2-0 victory over struggling Sheffield United on Saturday, a result which, coming after their midweek win at Everton, put the champions firmly at the forefront of the title picture.

The intensity now slackens considerably in the coming weeks, with just two Premier League fixtures – and three games in total – scheduled for January.

They will face an extra FA Cup tie if they beat Huddersfield in the third round next week but, even so, it is a considerable contrast to the recent programme.

“It is nice,” said City manager Guardiola. “We have 27million games in one month, (now) we have three games in the next month.

“It’s like life – some have a lot and some don’t have anything. It is what it is, but I would say it is welcome. I like it.”

Guardiola has regularly voiced his concerns about scheduling and players’ workloads and would welcome moves by the players’ union to try to limit any further increase of fixtures.

It has been reported that the Professional Footballers’ Association is exploring legal options after the recent European Court of Justice ruling in relation to the Super League appeared to reduce the ability of governing bodies to control the sport’s calendar.

Guardiola said: “Only they, the players, can change something – not just in the Premier League, everywhere.

“I’ve said many times we have too many games. The problem is we have just three weeks’ holiday in the summer and it is impossible to regenerate. Just look at the number of injuries at all the teams.

“The only ones who can change it are the players, if they really decide, to make it a better sport.”

City were far too strong for the Blades as they closed out a memorable year in which they won five trophies with goals in each half from Rodri and Julian Alvarez.

United remain bottom of the table with just nine points, but manager Chris Wilder has seen encouraging signs since his recent return to the club and also plans to take advantage of a lighter January.

Wilder said: “I 100 per cent believe the group will be stronger the next time we turn out in a Premier League game, through time on the training ground, through players returning and we are looking at bringing two or three in.

“Let’s have a go in the second part of the season, similar to how we approached this game. I won’t let that standard drop.

“We have to be a better footballing team, but I am sure we will. My teams have always got stronger in the second part of the season through the work we do.”

Aston Villa scored a late penalty to beat strugglers Burnley 3-2 and move second in the Premier League before Manchester United slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest.

Villa – who lost 3-2 at Manchester United on Boxing Day after leading 2-0 – went ahead in the 28th minute through Leon Bailey.

The Clarets were back on level terms just three minutes later when Zeki Amdouni fired home from close range following a free-kick.

Burnley had the ball in the net again, but Lyle Foster’s effort was ruled out for offside before Moussa Diaby then added a second for Villa in the 42nd minute.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when midfielder Sander Berge was given a second caution for tugging back Douglas Luiz.

Foster, though, hauled Burnley level with 20 minutes left – this time his goal allowed to stand following a VAR review.

Just when it looked like Vincent Kompany’s men would hold out for a welcome point, Aaron Ramsey fouled Jhon Duran to concede an 89th-minute penalty. Luiz sent his spot-kick on to the underside of the crossbar and into the roof of the net to secure another home win for Villa.

In Saturday’s late kick-off, Manchester United were beaten 2-1 at Nottingham Forest, who secured a second straight win for new boss Nuno Espirito Santo. After a low-key first half, Forest went ahead just after the hour when Nicolas Dominguez swept in a low cross from Gonzalo Montiel.

United were level in the 78th minute after a poor clearance from Forest keeper Matt Turner was punished as Alejandro Garnacho squared for Marcus Rashford to equalise.

Forest, though, were back in front again just four minutes later when Morgan Gibbs-White curled a fine strike into the far corner to leave United in seventh place – nine points off the top four.

Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Ethiad Stadium to move third, above Arsenal on goal difference.

Rodri gave City the lead in the 14th minute with a low finish into the bottom corner after good hold-up play by Phil Foden.

Midfielder Jack Grealish – whose Cheshire home had been burgled while he was away playing at Everton on Wednesday night – was taken off early in the second half and replaced by Oscar Bobb.

Julian Alvarez doubled City’s lead just after the hour from close range after Bobb had played in Foden.

Earlier, Chelsea survived a spirited late fightback by Luton to win 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team had looked to be cruising to a first away victory since early November following a brace from Cole Palmer – his second goal showing fine close control – either side of Noni Madueke’s strike just before half-time.

Luton, though, set up a tense final 10 minutes after Ross Barkley scored against his former club before Elijah Adebayo pulled another back late on, but the Blues held out.

Michael Olise scored twice as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways after coming from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

Keane Lewis-Potter fired the Bees into an early lead after just two minutes, the goal given following a lengthy VAR check for a possible offside.

Palace were soon back on level terms in the 14th minute when Olise volleyed in at the back post before Eberechi Eze completed the turnaround shortly before half-time.

Olise fired in a well-taken second from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute as Palace ended an eight-match winless run.

Wolves maintained their good form with a 3-0 win over relegation-battlers Everton at Molineux.

Captain Max Kilman put Wolves in front in the 25th minute following a scramble in the penalty area, which was only his second goal for the club. The players celebrated by holding up a shirt in support of Mario Lemina following the death of his father.

Wolves doubled their lead early in the second half through a close-range finish from Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson added a third on the hour.

Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto both saw goals disallowed for offside as Gary O’Neil’s well-drilled went on to close out a third straight win.

Pep Guardiola played down the significance of his side’s victory over Sheffield United on Saturday despite it increasing the pressure at the top of the Premier League.

Goals from Rodri and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad Stadium saw the champions wrap up a memorable 2023 – a year in which they won five trophies – with a comfortable 2-0 victory over the struggling Blades.

The result lifted City within two points of leaders Liverpool at the end of a draining month in which they played nine matches, including two in Saudi Arabia at the Club World Cup.

That could be viewed as ominous for the rest of the competition but City manager Guardiola did not want to be drawn into such talk.

Guardiola said: “What we have done in the past doesn’t mean it is going to happen in the future. The future is happy New Year and three days off, and after that it is Huddersfield. No further than that.

“Except for two or three games, we were better than the opponents and could not get the results we deserved – but it is business and you have to win games.

“Today we did it and I’m really pleased for the guys. It was an intense month.”

Guardiola felt City were initially below their best but was pleased with the way they roused themselves.

He said: “The first half was a little bit flat. The body language of the players – they didn’t communicate, didn’t talk, didn’t laugh, didn’t shout.

“It was ‘OK, I have to play a football game’, but football games cannot be played in that way.

“At half-time, for the first time, I didn’t talk one word about tactics. I took a chair and sat and said, ‘Guys go out with a smile on your face and with another rhythm in terms of enjoying what you’re doing. We are not going to do what happened against Crystal Palace’.”

“In the second half, the first 15 minutes were the best minutes that we did.”

Guardiola also hailed an “incredible effort” from Jack Grealish, who started for City after a difficult few days following a burglary at his house.

Defeat left Sheffield United bottom of the table but manager Chris Wilder found positives in the attitude of his players.

He said: “It felt like we played football for about five hours. At the start, when you are walking out, and you see five trophies, it hits home to you and what you are up against.

“We were light in terms of Premier League experience but what we weren’t light on is fight or character, and that has delighted me since I walked through the door.

“It is incredibly difficult to come here, even for the top teams. We stuck at it and it was great experience for the young lads to learn. There is no downside from this game.”

Aston Villa scored a late penalty to beat strugglers Burnley 3-2 and move second in the Premier League.

Villa – who lost 3-2 at Manchester United on Boxing Day after leading 2-0 – went ahead in the 28th minute through Leon Bailey.

The Clarets were back on level terms just three minutes later when Zeki Amdouni fired home from close range following a free-kick.

Burnley had the ball in the net again, but Lyle Foster’s effort was ruled out for offside before Moussa Diaby then added a second for Villa in the 42nd minute.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 56th minute when midfielder Sander Berge was given a second caution for tugging back Douglas Luiz.

Foster, though, hauled Burnley level with 20 minutes left – this time his goal allowed to stand following a VAR review.

Just when it looked like Vincent Kompany’s men would hold out for a welcome point, Aaron Ramsey fouled Jhon Duran to concede an 89th-minute penalty. Luiz sent his spot-kick on to the underside of the crossbar and into the roof of the net to secure another home win for Villa.

Manchester City beat Sheffield United 2-0 at the Ethiad Stadium to move third, above Arsenal on goal difference.

Rodri gave City the lead in the 14th minute with a low finish into the bottom corner after good hold-up play by Phil Foden.

Midfielder Jack Grealish – whose Cheshire home had been burgled while he was away playing at Everton on Wednesday night – was taken off early in the second half and replaced by Oscar Bobb.

Julian Alvarez doubled City’s lead just after the hour from close range after Bobb had played in Foden.

Earlier, Chelsea survived a spirited late fightback by Luton to win 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team had looked to be cruising to a first away victory since early November following a brace from Cole Palmer – his second goal showing fine close control – either side of Noni Madueke’s strike just before half-time.

Luton, though, set up a tense final 10 minutes after Ross Barkley scored against his former club before Elijah Adebayo pulled another back late on, but the Blues held out.

Michael Olise scored twice as Crystal Palace returned to winning ways after coming from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 at Selhurst Park.

Keane Lewis-Potter fired the Bees into an early lead after just two minutes, the goal given following a lengthy VAR check for a possible offside.

Palace were soon back on level terms in the 14th minute when Olise volleyed in at the back post before Eberechi Eze completed the turnaround shortly before half-time.

Olise fired in a well-taken second from the edge of the penalty area in the 58th minute as Palace ended an eight-match winless run.

Wolves maintained their good form with a 3-0 win over relegation-battlers Everton at Molineux.

Captain Max Kilman put Wolves in front in the 25th minute following a scramble in the penalty area, which was only his second goal for the club. The players celebrated by holding up a shirt in support of Mario Lemina following the death of his father.

Wolves doubled their lead early in the second half through a close-range finish from Matheus Cunha and Craig Dawson added a third on the hour.

Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto both saw goals disallowed for offside as Gary O’Neil’s well-drilled went on to close out a third straight win.

Rodri and Julian Alvarez struck as Manchester City closed out a remarkable year with a routine 2-0 win over Premier League bottom side Sheffield United.

Champions League final match-winner Rodri put City on course for a comfortable win at the Etihad Stadium with a fine strike after 14 minutes and Alvarez finished the job in the second half.

After a tricky spell earlier in December, City have now ended 2023 – a year which brought five trophies including English, European and world titles – looking more like their old dominant selves.

It was the first time they had secured back-to-back Premier League wins since the first week of November and ended a run of eight games without a clean sheet.

The game also saw Kevin De Bruyne back in a matchday squad for the first time since August.

Jack Grealish retained his place in the City side despite a difficult few days following a burglary at his home and played 52 minutes before being withdrawn.

Manager Pep Guardiola made two changes to his starting line-up with Josko Gvardiol replacing the injured John Stones and Mateo Kovacic coming in for Matheus Nunes.

De Bruyne did not see any action but earned one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon when he warmed up in the second half.

In truth, City did not need the Belgium international as they comfortably outplayed the struggling Blades.

The hosts soon settled into their usual rhythm, controlling possession and patiently waiting for openings to arise.

It seemed just a matter of time before they broke through and the moment arrived in 14th minute as Rodri seized possession after a challenge on Phil Foden.

The Spaniard confidently drove forward and drove a low shot past Wes Foderingham from 18 yards.

Bernardo Silva shot wide after being played in by Foden and Grealish tested Foderingham from a tight angle.

The visitors missed James McAtee, who was unable to face his parent club, and offered little in attack until a brief flurry just before the break.

William Osula got behind the defence to meet a Jayden Bogle cross but his first-time shot was blocked by Manuel Akanji. Osula had another chance from the resulting corner but his header was saved by Ederson and Bogle also had an effort easily claimed by the City goalkeeper.

Back at the other end Rodri shot over and Foden almost got round Foderingham early in the second half but the keeper just managed to claw the ball away.

Foden had better luck when he created the second goal for Alvarez on the hour, breaking into the area from an Oscar Bobb pass and squaring for the Argentina forward to slide in.

Alvarez almost snatched another when Foderingham smashed a clearance straight at him but it ricocheted over.

Anyone found guilty of racially abusing Luton’s Carlton Morris must face “the strongest possible consequences”, Kick It Out has said.

The 28-year-old striker complained about a comment made by the home crowd late on in the Hatters’ Premier League match against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Luton boss Rob Edwards confirmed after his side’s 3-2 win that the matter had been reported to the police.

Kick It Out issued a statement on Wednesday morning which read: “We send our full support to Carlton Morris. It’s shameful that once again a player should be subjected to alleged racism while doing their job.

“Morris should be praised for how he handled the situation, and we commend the clubs, police and officials for their swift approach. But it should never have to come to this.

“Those who think this vile behaviour towards players is acceptable need to face the strongest possible consequences.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards said South Yorkshire Police are investigating an alleged racist comment towards Carlton Morris in his side’s Boxing Day win at Sheffield United.

The striker complained of a comment made from the home crowd late in the second half, which left him “pretty angry”, and the police have spoken to him.

It soured what was a great day for Morris as he came off the bench to create two own goals in four minutes which earned the Hatters a vital 3-2 victory in the crunch basement Premier League battle at Bramall Lane.

Edwards said: “There was an alleged racist comment, the police are dealing with that, they have spoken to Carlton and got his take on it, so it is with them now; I have no more comment on it.

“He is alright – he was, at the time, pretty angry but he seems fine now.”

United boss Chris Wilder added: “There was a comment that was made and the referee came over to speak to me and Rob from a racial point of view, which is obviously not great if found to be the case.”

The Blades were on course for an important victory as second-half goals from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s first-half opener for the Hatters.

But substitute Morris was the orchestrator as Jack Robinson and Anis Slimane put through their own net to give Luton back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time.

They will now believe survival is a real possibility going into the second half of the campaign.

Edwards, who celebrated his birthday on Christmas Day, said: “It brings us closer to where we want to be. Back-to-back and within four days we have two thirds of the points we already had, it’s big for us.

“We all know it was a big game, they all are, it was important and it was very, very special to do it in the end, one that we will remember for a long time.

“We have won these two games in a row, the performances are going the right way, we have been consistent for a long time and we are getting rewards for our performances.”

Wilder claimed his side “chucked it away” as their chances of beating the drop continue to get slimmer, having amassed just nine points at the halfway stage.

He said: “We chucked it away. Don’t take this as a dig against our opponents but there will be a lot of talk about character and getting themselves back into the game with a never-say-die attitude and all that, it’s nothing to do with that.

“It’s to do with our attitude to defending. It cost us on Friday night (at Aston Villa) and it has cost us tonight.

“It’s an attitude to defending and I’d be saying the same thing if I was a manager at any other club in the pyramid.

“They haven’t had to do anything to get back in the game, we have basically handed them the game. We should be talking about a home win, not them getting two to take the points.

“I don’t think it was earned by them, it was given by us.”

Carlton Morris climbed off the bench to create two own goals in four minutes for Luton as they beat Sheffield United 3-2 in a crucial Premier League basement battle.

The Blades were on course for an important victory as goals from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic overturned Alfie Doughty’s first-half opener for the Hatters.

But substitute Morris was the orchestrator as Jack Robinson and Anis Slimane put through their own net to give Luton back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time.

The match was also notable for being the first Premier League match to be officiated by a black referee for 15 years as Sam Allison took the whistle and he mainly stayed away from controversy, apart from a contentious decision to award a corner in the build-up to Robinson’s own goal.

Luton were not complaining as the festive season which began with a win over Newcastle on Saturday added another vital three points and they will believe survival is a real possibility going into the second half of the campaign.

It looks like the Blades will need a miracle to get themselves out of the bottom three as they have just nine points at the halfway mark and this could be a damaging loss.

The Hatters took the lead in the 17th minute, though Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham will not want to see it again.

Doughty received the ball on the right wing, breezed by Gus Hamer on his way into the area before firing a low shot, which should have been a routine save for Foderingham at the near post, but the ball squirmed through his legs and into the back of the net.

The hosts tried to respond, with Hamer’s 20-yard free-kick palmed away by Thomas Kaminski while James McAtee whipped an effort just wide after a jinking run.

They kept the pressure up before the break and Andre Brooks was denied a certain goal by Elijah Adebayo’s block before Auston Trusty headed the resulting corner against the crossbar.

Half-time provided little respite for Luton as the Blades were straight back on to the attack, with Teden Mengi slicing George Baldock’s cross just over his own crossbar while Albert Lokonga produced a goal-saving block to deny Max Lowe.

The deserved leveller came just after the hour-mark as McBurnie raised the roof.

It was down to the good work of McAtee, who surged into the area after Cameron Archer’s chest down and recovered well from a tackle to slide the ball to McBurnie while still on the floor.

The Blades striker did the rest, converting from close range.

The hosts sensed blood and they turned the match around eight minutes later as Ahmedhodzic converted from close range after a goalmouth scramble.

Luton responded well and levelled things up in the 77th minute.

United could not clear a hotly-disputed corner and Morris swung the ball back in, which Robinson could only flick into his own net.

Four minutes later Morris jinked into the area and his cross was diverted into the corner by an unlucky Slimane, with Luton seeing it out for a huge victory.

Rob Edwards revealed he would have joined critics in writing off Luton’s Premier League survival chances before the start of the season if he had been an outside observer.

The Hatters boss saw his side win for the third time since their top-flight return against Newcastle on Saturday to pull to within two points of 17th-place Nottingham Forest.

It continued an impressive run at Kenilworth Road that in their previous four home games had seen them beat Crystal Palace and take the lead against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, albeit taking only a single point from those three fixtures.

Victory against bottom side Sheffield United on Boxing Day could see them move out of the bottom three for the first time since the start of December, when they briefly pulled clear by virtue of Everton’s 10-point deduction.

There has been a noticeable improvement in the quality of performances since the team were beaten in each of their first four games of the season.

And despite his side now looking a better bet for survival than they did in August, Edwards said he too might have been ready to dismiss Luton’s chances had he not been manager.

However, he was not in the mood to forgive those that prematurely counted the team out.

“To be honest I probably would have written us off as well, from outside,” he said. “But I think there’s ways of doing that and I think some people were disrespectful with how they did it.

“That angered me a little bit, but I don’t use that. I can’t affect what other people think or say or write. Some people gave good rationale; smallest budget, promoted out the play-offs, first time in the Premier League. I get that. But some of the stuff that was written was crackers.”

Edwards’ team made Newcastle look ordinary for large parts of Saturday’s victory, the first match Luton had played since captain Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest during the previous weekend’s game against Bournemouth.

The manager said prior to the match that his team had sought a win for the sake of the absent 29-year-old, who was discharged from hospital on Thursday, but later insisted that victory against Newcastle had not been fired solely by emotion and sentiment.

“The performances have been good,” he said. “We haven’t won the game (against Newcastle) just because of what’s happened. We wanted to do it for Tom, but the performances have been there.

“It was probably more complete, we were able to put it together for 97 minutes. Maybe against Arsenal we had 75 minutes, against City we had around 60.

“The players have been performing really well for a long time now. I think we’ve been changing the narrative around us as well, around the football club with those performances. (On Saturday) we just got the result.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery refused to be downbeat after his side missed the chance to go top of the Premier League.

Nicolo Zaniolo’s stoppage-time header rescued a 1-1 draw with struggling Sheffield United on Friday.

Cameron Archer, who joined the Blades from Villa in the summer, netted for the visitors – who climb off the bottom – with three minutes left to leave Villa on the brink of a first home league defeat since February.

But they salvaged a point, although their run of club-record 15 straight league wins at Villa Park ended, and they sit second in the standings, behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference.

Emery, whose side saw Leon Bailey have a goal disallowed by VAR while the hosts also had three penalty claims turned down on review, said: “It was a very good point at the end.

“At the start we were very excited and we were expecting Sheffield to be very strong, they were successful in their plan and they scored when we lost control of the game.

“The draw is fantastic for us because we are keeping the good feeling, not with three points but playing in the same way we are trying to do.

“We were upset and frustrated with the review of our goal, we have to understand each decision even if we don’t agree with them.

“We lost the control of the game in the last 20 minutes. At the end we were frustrated, I wanted three points but we have to accept how Sheffield defended.”

Villa dominated from the start without finding the breakthrough and had two penalty claims rejected by VAR, the first when Ollie Watkins was shoved by Vini Souza before George Baldock’s handball was studied.

Neither fell for Villa but they kept pushing and Wes Foderingham saved low from Moussa Diaby.

Sheffield United’s plan was working and they frustrated the hosts, with Villa’s expected procession to the summit failing to materialise.

But the Blades almost gifted Villa an opener after 58 minutes, only to be saved by VAR.

Watkins robbed Baldock as he failed to clear, swapped passes with Jacob Ramsey, and crossed for Bailey to sweep in but VAR disallowed the goal after Ramsey pulled Foderingham at the corner.

Another VAR reprieve for the visitors came 15 minutes later when Baldock survived a handball review as Villa Park became increasingly anxious.

It gave the Blades belief and Emiliano Martinez saved from Oliver Norwood before Archer, who came through Villa’s academy, tapped in after outstanding work from Gustavo Hamer with three minutes left.

United tried to cling on, Foderingham saving from Alex Moreno, but they were breached in the seventh minute of injury time when Zaniolo headed in Douglas Luiz’s cross.

“It always seems when we play at Villa Park it’s an interesting night. We were up against a team on a fabulous run, who have swatted aside better teams than us,” said Blades boss Chris Wilder, whose side host relegation rivals Luton on Boxing Day.

“I’m not going to be embarrassed in terms of the plan we had, because we have to have a structure. You do get close, you are ultimately a little disappointed but when the head is on the pillow we will be pleased with our efforts.

“We’re going to have to show character right the way through because we’re up against it. This football club is built on that. I’ve been delighted with the group and their attitude.

“Everyone in the world expects a home win. We had to have a structure, it’s not anti-football, it’s up to the opposition to break us down. They are the ones in form.”

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, still 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.

Now, 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.

Blades boss Chris Wilder packed a five-man defence to contain the hosts and United lived dangerously early when Ollie Watkins was shoved by Vini Souza as he lurked for Lucas Digne’s cross.

VAR rejected Villa’s penalty appeals and then disappointed the hosts again when George Baldock blocked Watkins’ header from the resulting corner.

Inevitably, Villa were the aggressors with Wes Foderingham’s smart stop denying Moussa Diaby and Ezri Konsa heading over but there was no early procession.

With 15 straight home wins, the expectation was on Villa to roll the bottom side over but patience was still needed and Watkins hooked over from a Clement Lenglet knockdown.

It was one-way traffic, just without the goal, and the compact Blades would have been very content at the break.

Yet Wilder would have been fuming after 58 minutes when his side looked to have gifted Villa the opener until VAR intervened.

Baldock was sloppy as he tried to play the ball out as United cleared a corner and was robbed by Watkins, who swapped passed with Jacob Ramsey.

The England striker then crossed for Bailey to sweep in but play was eventually pulled back as Ramsey had fouled Foderingham at the corner.

Another VAR reprieve for the visitors came 15 minutes later when Baldock survived a handball review as Villa Park became increasingly anxious.

It emboldened the Blades and Norwood tested Emiliano Martinez from distance, their first shot, after 78 minutes before Konsa almost sliced Max Lowe’s cross into his own net.

Archer’s shot was blocked and Norwood drove over before United stunned Villa Park with three minutes left.

Vini Souza’s free-kick found Gustavo Hamer running behind and a brilliant piece of skill from the midfielder saw him leave John McGinn floundering.

The substitute then had the presence of mind to cut the ball back for Archer to convert from six yards.

Foderingham saved Alex Moreno’s header but Villa found a leveller deep in stoppage time when Zaniolo headed in Douglas Luiz’s cross.

An investigation following the death of Sheffield United player Maddy Cusack has found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Cusack, who made 110 United appearances, died aged 27 in September.

United opened what they described as a third-party investigation into processes and conduct at the club after Cusack’s family raised concerns.

In November, the Maddy Cusack Foundation shared a speech online attributed to Cusack’s mother which it said was given at a memorial service in October. The speech said Cusack’s spirit “was allowed to be broken” by football.

However, the club announced on Monday that the investigation had now closed with no evidence found of any wrongdoing.

“Following a thorough review of the valuable input provided by each of the key witnesses put forward by Maddy’s family and the club, the investigation has found no evidence of wrongdoing,” the South Yorkshire club said in a statement published on their official website.

“The club is always looking for ways to evolve and will reflect on the outcomes and recommendations arising from the investigation to consider how processes and policies may be improved.”

United said everyone at the club remained “deeply saddened” by Cusack’s death. She had worn the number eight shirt “with distinction”, the club said, and was a “valued and popular member” of their marketing department.

“Following Maddy’s death, the club provided staff with the opportunity to engage with additional external support,” the club statement continued.

“As part of the club’s commitment to continual improvement, we have and will continue to review and expand the club-wide well-being support offered to our staff and to increase the learning and development opportunities for all staff around language and culture, welfare and mental health awareness.

“We have also recently strengthened our women’s and girls’ structure with the addition of a new highly experienced head of women’s and girls’ football and other key appointments.

“We wish to offer support to Maddy’s family and the Maddy Cusack Foundation, MC8, and we hope to work with them to continue the lasting positive impact Maddy had on those who knew her.”

A speech said to have been given by Cusack’s mother at a memorial in October read: “The saddest and most utterly heartbreaking reason why I am having to stand here and speak to you today is because of football.

“From February this year, the indomitable, irrepressible spirit, the spirit called Maddy, the spirit that I had so fearlessly protected was allowed to be broken. Taking her away from me.

“Those who knew Maddy well will be aware that she had no long-standing mental health issues or troubles. Not that there would be anything to be ashamed of if there were, but there were not. Those that didn’t know her need to know that.

“Maddy was a happy-go-lucky, carefree girl with everything to live for and by last Christmas could be described as being at her happiest. This all changed gradually from February this year.”

Jonathan Morgan, the head coach of United’s women’s team, was understood to have been the subject of an investigation by the club. It was reported he had stepped away from his duties while an investigation was conducted. The club have been contacted for comment regarding Morgan.

The Maddy Cusack Foundation has been contacted for comment following the club’s statement on Monday.