Sheffield United 4-0 Fulham: Blades crush champions Fulham to seal play-off place

Morgan Gibbs-White’s first-half header was his 11th goal for Sheffield United this season

Sheffield United scored three goals in a blistering opening 25 minutes as they crushed champions Fulham to make certain of their place in the Championship play-offs.

The Blades were one of four teams in the mix for the final two play-off spots but knew a win would ensure a top-six finish irrespective of how Luton Town, Middlesbrough and Millwall fared.

Any fears of a nervy afternoon at Bramall Lane were soon dispelled when Morgan Gibbs-White headed the opener from Oli Norwood’s delightful first-time cross from the right.

Gibbs-White teed up Iliman Ndiaye after a slip by Jean Michael Seri to slot in number two – his fourth goal in five games – and within four minutes the game seemed as good as done when Sander Berge rammed the ball home from six yards.

A joyous home crowd saw Berge unselfishly find Enda Stevens for a simple finish to make it 4-0 after the restart – a result which means the Blades finish fifth and will meet Nottingham Forest in the two-legged semi-finals.

United had started the action by recognising Fulham’s achievements with a pre-match guard of honour, but that was as charitable as they got in a one-sided afternoon.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side played with the sort urgency and quality that had been Fulham’s trademark all season and led to them securing the league title with a 7-0 mauling of Luton Town on Monday.

But Wolves loanee Gibbs-White’s early header set the tone for a sloppy day’s work by the Whites, stand-in keeper Paolo Gazzaniga making a mess of his attempted save at the near post.

Seri’s unfortunate slip deep in his own territory gifted a second goal and some more slick play ended with Berge and Stevens doubling that two-goal scoreline.

The comprehensive victory ensured the Blades finished above sixth-placed Luton on goal difference, and also means they go into the home leg against Forest on Friday in good form after a third successive win.

Boss Heckingbottom has masterminded a terrific turnaround from where they were when he took over in November with the team eight points off the top six and struggling following relegation from the Premier League.

Fulham rarely threatened to spoil the party having been overrun in the early stages. They had plenty of possession but at 3-0 down failed to create clear chances, with a Neeskens Kebano strike that flew over the bar and a Fabio Carvalho effort well saved by keeper Wesley Foderingham as close as they came.

Line-ups Sheff Utd

Formation 3-4-1-2

18Foderingham

6Basham12Egan19Robinson

23Osborn16Norwood4Fleck3Stevens

8Berge

27Gibbs-White29Ndiaye

Substitutes

Fulham

Formation 4-2-3-1

21Gazzaniga

2Tete3Hector13Ream33Robinson

24Seri12Chalobah

7Kebano28Carvalho14De Cordova-Reid

9Mitrovic

Substitutes

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