Sheffield United lost out at Manchester City despite a spirited and impressive performance led by John Fleck at the Etihad
Goals from Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne were enough for City to see the game through. However, Lys Mousset had an early goal chalked off for offside and then missed another golden chance just after.
But it was not to be for the Blades, who finally surrendered their unbeaten Premier League away record.
Some of the performances from Sheffield United players were outstanding. The likes of Oli Norwood and John Egan were once again superb, while Mousset and Callum Robinson worked hard upfront.
However, it was the display of John Fleck which seemed to really catch the eye of Blades fans. The diminutive Scottish midfielder put in arguably his best display in a red and white shirt.
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Composed, calm, and a threat going forward, Fleck showed just why he is so highly regarded at Bramall Lane.
The comments on Twitter about Fleck following the game were hugely positive, with one fan even claiming he was better than City star, Kevin De Bruyne.
https://twitter.com/SamRodgers32/status/1211361731559211009
Some United fans, meanwhile, simply wanted to sing the praises of their Scottish midfield star.
https://twitter.com/Claire_W82/status/1211386012661960705
https://twitter.com/helenmarie88/status/1211385773230055424
One fan even claimed he might be the best Sheffield United have ever seen.
Our view
What a performance from John Fleck. From start to finish, he was simply superb.
Had Lys Mousset’s goal counted, we could be talking about one of the passes of the season? His quality shone through and against the likes of De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, that is no mean feat.
The fact John Fleck cost Sheffield United nothing and bossed a game against Man City sums up how good he is. His value is going up by the week, too.
It will be little surprise come January and heading into the summer to see some of the Premier League big boys knocking on the door at Bramall Lane.