Sheffield United 4 Aston Villa 1 - Report

The Blades blew away the sorry visitors in a blistering first-half at Bramall Lane, as goals from Jack O'Connell, Mark Duffy and Ollie Norwood gave them a 3-0 lead.

Billy Sharp then further piled on the misery for Villa boss Bruce when he added a fourth early in the second period.

Anwar El Ghazi did pull one back for Villa, though it was scant consolation on a sobering afternoon.

Analysis

Defeat capped a miserable week for Villa and Bruce, following on from Tuesday's humiliating Carabao Cup exit at Burton.

This loss, though it was the first of their Championship campaign, was also the heaviest of his reign and potentially far more damaging.

It is difficult to imagine what new chief executive Christian Purslow, watching from the stands, must have been thinking as Villa were torn apart during an opening 45 minutes in which their spirit was found severely lacking.

Despite criticism from certain sections of the fanbase, Bruce is not thought to have been under any serious pressure prior to the match. Afternoons like this are, however, the type which can prompt club owners into a re-think.

There is also a whole two weeks before Bruce or his team can do anything to change the mood.

Regardless of what happens, there is now no question the manager is on increasingly thin ice after an opening months which can be deemed no better than average.

Villa are now 11th in the table, with nine points from six games.

Most concerning is the vulnerability which now runs through the team and was devastatingly exposed by the Blades.

Villa were not only out-thought, they were thoroughly out-fought in a performance which harked back to the bad old days.

O'Connell's opener came from a free-kick where Villa's marking was non-existent, while Norwood's free-kick was another uncomfortable moment for goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, who was caught out at his near post.

The capitulation prompted angry scenes among visiting supporters, with stewards and police forced to intervene.

Having made big changes for Tuesday night's defeat at Burton, Bruce reverted to a more familiar line-up at Bramall Lane.

There was only one alteration from the team which had started against Reading in the previous Championship fixture, Glenn Whelan replacing Birkir Bjarnason in midfield.

Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Jonathan Kodjia all overcame their respective injury issues to feature, though there was no place in the squad for Albert Adomah, following the collapse of his deadline day move to Middlesbrough.

Villa's start to the match could not have been worse and they were behind within six minutes, conceding the kind of goal which would have left Bruce's blood boiling.

Norwood's free-kick was well struck. Yet Villa's marking was also all over the place as O'Connell was allowed a free run to head past Nyland.

Things nearly got worse even before Duffy doubled the lead midway through the half. Norwood's shot from the edge of the box took a big deflection off Whelan and hit the post before being hacked clear.

Villa had seemed to settle before being hit by the home team's second. Duffy escaped McGinn in the middle of the park and ran at a retreating defence before sending a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.

The nightmare half wasn't finished there. Four minutes before the break, the Blades were awarded a free-kick on the right flank.

Norwood initially shaped to cross before changing his mind and driving the ball toward the near post, with Nyland only succeeding in helping it over the line.

The break brought no respite as within four minutes of the restart, the hosts had a fourth.

It was a goal which summed up Villa's performance, Norwood out-muscling El Ghazi before playing in Freeman to cross for Sharp. The striker collected the ball with his back to goal but was unable to turn Jedinak before firing a shot into the top corner from eight yards out.

Nyland prevented things getting even worse when he saved at full stretch from David McGoldrick.

El Ghazi at least gave what remained of the 2,200-strong away section something to cheer when he collected a pass from Whelan and fired past Blades keeper Dean Henderson.

But Villa relied on a fine save from Nyland to deny the home side a fifth, once again denying McGoldrick.

Villa had the better of it in the closing stages, without ever threatening a comeback. The damage had long been done.

Key Moments

6 GOAL Jack O'Connell heads the hosts into an early lead. Rising to nod Ollie Norwood's free-kick beyond Orjan Nyland.

22 GOAL Mark Duffy doubles the home side's lead. The midfielder escapes John McGinn in the middle of the park before firing into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.

41 GOAL The nightmate half for Villa continues. Ollie Norwood catches out goalkeeper Orjan Nyland with a free-kick, beating the keeper at his near post.

49 GOAL Billy Sharp scores the fourth for the hosts. He collects Kieron Freeman's cross, holds off Jedinak before firing a shot into the top corner.

61 GOAL Anwar El Ghazi pulls one back for Villa. Latching on to a pass before sending a shot past Dean Henderson.

Teams

Sheff U (3-4-1-2): Henderson, Basham, Egan, O'Connell, Freeman, Norwood, Fleck (Lundstram 63), Stevens, Duffy (Lafferty 72), Sharp (Washington 81), McGoldrick Subs not used: Woodburn, Coutts, Stearman, Moore (gk).

Villa: (4-1-4-1): Nyland, Tuanzebe (Hourihane 63), Chester, Jedinak, Hutton (Taylor 77), Whelan, Elmohamady, Grealish, McGinn (Hepburn-Murphy 77), El Ghazi, Kodjia Subs not used: Lansbury, Bree, Bjarnason, Moreira (gk).