Premier League: Marcus Rashford nets brace as Manchester United edge out Sheffield United

Two goals from Marcus Rashford and one from Anthony Martial took Manchester United up to sixth in the table, five points off the top with a game in hand; they look both very awful and very special.

The Blades, meanwhile, remain bottom of the league with just one point from 13 games; they’re set for a long, miserable winter, and simply bettering Derby’s record-low of 11 points in a Premier League season would mark some sort of triumph.

They started this game really well, quicker to the ball and looking to attack in numbers, and David McGoldrick’s opening goal, though it was created by a hideous piece of goalkeeping by Dean Henderson, was coming. But gradually United roused themselves, and two goals, scored by Rashford and Martial on 26 and 34 minutes, allowed them to take control of things.

The Blades tried their best in the second half, but United thought they'd made the game safe with a fantastic move on 51 minutes - had Rashford finished cleanly, we’d be talking about one of the great counters, and even so it was still pretty good. They ought to have scored more thereafter, and were punished for their profligacy when Victor Lindelof’s header hit McGoldrick and went in, giving them an anxious few minutes.

In the end though, United will take a ninth successive away win and a sixth successive from a goal down, knowing that if they can behave themselves at the start of games, they can achieve something this season.

It’s easy to think about football in absolutes, but there may never have been a team as simultaneously indolent and irresistible as this version of Manchester United. As they have in every away game this season, they went behind, and though Henderson will accept the blame for a horrendous piece of goalkeeping, those around him were slow to start playing, inviting Sheffield United into the game and allowing them to force the error.

United played pretty well after that; few teams in world football have comparable pace, invention and electricity going forward. But they are still not ruthless enough – United should’ve been out of sight, and instead found themselves hanging on. Though there are areas in which the team needs strengthening, its principle problems are mental – starting games poorly, and failing to finish them ruthlessly are not really matters of skill or tactics.

Somehow, they now find themselves well in the title race, and it would be a shock if they wound up champions. And yet the form they showed in the second half of last season would take them close...

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) - Scored two sensational goals and looked the brilliant player that he is at his best.

Sheffield United: Ramsdale 5, Basham 6, Egan 5, Robinson 5, Balcdock 6, Fleck 5, Berge 6, Ampadu 5, Stevens 5, McGoldrick 7, Burke 6. Subs: Jagielka 5, Mousset 6, Brewster 6.

Manchester United: Henderson 6, Wan-Bissaka 6, Lindelof 6, Maguire 5, Telles 6, Matic 5, Pogba 8, Fernandes 8, Greenwood 7, Martial 7, Rashford 8. Subs: Mata 6, Van de Beek 6, McTominay.

Sheffield United's one point from 13 games is the worst start to a top-flight season in English football history.

5’ - GOAL! Sheffield United 1-0 Manchester United (McGoldrick) OH MY DAYS! United try to play out from the back and Maguire rolls to Henderson, who hesitates. The ball then gets caught under his studs a little and when Burke challenges, it squirts out away from him, allowing Burke to crab football it to McGoldrick, who smashes home! So United go behind again - they have in every away match so far this season - but in newly hilarious style. What an absolute shower.

16’ - Lovely from Basham, who chapeaus Matic, flicking the ball over his head and collecting around the other side before sliding out to Baldock. He has a look, then cuts a clever pass into the path of Fleck, who's first touch is good ... this could be 2-0 ... but he drives wide. Excellent play form Blades.

26’ - WHAT A GOAL! Sheffield United 1-1 Mancehster United (Rashford) Wan-Bissaka lays back to Lindelof, who clips a fine pass over the top for Rashford, bending his run so that he's onside and at full speed to meet it. But there's a lot of work still to do, and how does he do it?! His first touch, with the outside of his right foot, kills the ball while transferring it into stride, and his second, coming so early it's almost yesterday, absolutely lamps the ball past Ramsdale. Rashford simply turns and applauds the pass.

34’ - GOAL! Sheffield United 1-2 Manchester United (Martial) Pogba accepts a pass from Fernandes and uses its pace turns a wondrous long pass around the corner for Martial, 20 yards, curving into his stride and putting him in on goal. Martial, on the right side of the box, tries to finish first-time, but when Ramsdale careers out of his goal and they both misses the ball, has the easy task of simply poking it home.
35’ - McGoldrick loses the ball to Pogba and it runs free to Martial, who drives forwards and slides Rashford in! Again, his first touch is superb, but this time Ramsdale gets out well and stops the hammered low shot with a foot. United look likely to score every time they go forward now.

51’ - WHAT A GOAL! Sheffield United 1-3 Manchester United (Rashford) Blades waste a throw deep inside the United half, Pogba performing a Zidane spin before finding Bruno, who black-flicks off beautifully and first-time for Greenwood. Immediately, Jagielka thigh-trips him, but the ref plays a fine advantage and Rashford tears away, finding Martial, who comes back inside and across the face of the box. His plan is to shoot, but Rashford arrives on the burst so he leaves him be, the shot punched hard but too close to Ramsdale, who dives over it. Had the finish matched the move, we'd be talking about one of the great counters, and even so, it was still pretty special.

87’ - GOAL! Sheffield United 2-3 Manchester United (McGoldrick) Another hard, flat corner arrives at the back post and Lindelof is up first ... except his header clatters into McGoldrick and past Henderson! we got ourselves a ball-game!