Sheffield United bounce back at Norwich as Newcastle extend fine run by beating Southampton

Diogo Jota struck a double to ensure Wolves held Brighton at the Amex

George Baldock celebrates after his goal earned Sheffield United victory at Norwich (PA)

Sheffield United came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory over struggling Norwich at Carrow Road. The Blades bounced back from their first defeat in eight matches against Newcastle on Thursday with a determined and solid performance against a Norwich side who have not won at home since September.

The Canaries took the lead through Alexander Tettey inside the opening half an hour after starting the match brightly. However in the second half, it was Sheffield United who dominated. Enda Stevens’ header drew his side level with George Baldock firing home just three minutes later to put his side ahead.

The game was not without its moments of VAR controversy, with a red card for Chris Basham overruled and a lengthy delay over whether to award Sheffield United a goal, with both sets of fans expressing their displeasure at the new technology.

United had two opportunities to seal the win, but former Ipswich winger David McGoldrick, who received a hot reception throughout, fired wide twice in two minutes. Henderson had to make a great save to deny substitute Todd Cantwell tapping in the equaliser at the end of a rare promising move from the home side, but it was not enough as United took all three points.

Fernandez completes comeback to leave Saints in the drop zone

Federico Fernandez celebrates his late winner against Southampton (Action)

Federico Fernandez scored a late winner as Newcastle came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 in the Premier League. The central defender smashed home his second goal of the season from close range after goalkeeper Alex McCarthy could only parry substitute Sean Longstaff’s 87th-minute piledriver.

His effort came after Jonjo Shelvey had cancelled out Danny Ings’ opener with his fifth goal of the season and third in as many games as he headed in substitute Andy Carroll’s cross. However, the Saints will have headed off on the long journey back to the south coast feeling they deserved better on a day when home keeper Martin Dubravka had to make two fine first-half saves from Nathan Redmond. Newcastle were sloppy in possession in the early stages as they struggled to cope with the visitors’ high press, which allowed James Ward-Prowse to dictate from the middle of the field.

Shelvey had to bundle an inviting seventh-minute Ward-Prowse free-kick away from striker Ings at the near post with the Magpies searching in vain for a rhythm. However, Allan Saint-Maximin sparked them into life three minutes later when he cheekily slipped the ball through full-back Cedric Soares’ legs and carved his way into the penalty area before squaring for Miguel Almiron, whose shot was blocked.

Newcastle’s carelessness almost cost them with 18 minutes played when Redmond ran on to Jetro Willems’ loose pass and forced Dubravka into a vital one-one-one save which he bettered from the resulting corner to keep out the same man’s rising strike. The Magpies hit back with Saint-Maximin once again the instigator as he tricked his way past Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and slid the ball into Joelinton’s path, but the striker could not take it in his stride and Jack Stephens cleared.

Half-time came as something of a relief with the quality of the game having deteriorated alarmingly, and the home side returned knowing they had to be better. Joelinton and Shelvey saw shots blocked in quick succession, but it was the visitors who took a 52nd-minute lead when Ings got in behind the home defence to latch on to Stephens’ long ball and beat the advancing Dubravka. The Slovakia international had to beat away Soares’ shot two minutes later as the visitors threatened to kill off the game, prompting Steve Bruce to replace the struggling Joelinton with Carroll.

Carroll’s presence gave Newcastle a different focal point and they gradually built up a head of steam, forcing Southampton to defend deep and in numbers. And they got their reward 22 minutes from time when the striker drilled a fine cross to the far post for Shelvey to head home the equaliser. But there was further drama in the closing stages when McCarthy parried Longstaff’s shot to Fernandez and he fired gleefully into the roof of the net.

Jota double sees Wolves hold Brighton

Wolves congratulate Jota after his goal brings them level (Getty)

Wolverhampton Wanderers stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to 11 games after they led and then came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion in a pulsating encounter on Sunday.

Diogo Jota fired Wolves ahead and then hauled them level in a frantic first half after Neal Maupay and Davy Propper had cancelled out the Portuguese forward’s opener. The result left Wolves sixth in the standings on 24 points from 16 games, behind fifth-placed Manchester United on goal difference and one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in seventh.

Jota struck in the 28th minute with a crisp finish after a fine assist by Raul Jimenez but a poor close-range effort two minutes later proved costly as Brighton turned the match on its head with two quickfire goals.

Maupay equalised with a sumptuous strike from 18 metres in the 34th after taking a long Dale Stephens ball in his stride and Propper buried a header from 11 metres in the 36th from a Leandro Trossard cross. Propper then turned from hero to zero as he gave the ball away to Jonny Otto and Jota made amends for his earlier miss with a clinical strike from inside the penalty area.