Manchester City picked up their third Premier League win of the season on Saturday as they overcame Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane, with Kyle Walker scoring the only goal of the contest.
Pep Guardiola's men dominated possession early on and came close to finding the opener through Ferran Torres, but his header was well kept out by Aaron Ramsdale. The Sky Blues did take the lead just before the half hour mark through Walker, the right-back firing in from 25 yards out.
FULL-TIME | A narrow, but well-deserved win!
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 31, 2020
Unbeaten in October - that'll do nicely! ?
? 0-1 ? #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/Ui5f0s97OH
The away side continued to create openings, but the Blades should have levelled the score through substitute John Lundstram. Instead, he fired over after some excellent work by Sander Berge. The hosts weren't able to find a way back into the game and City saw out the remainder of the contest comfortably to pick up all three points.
Right, enough of that, let's get into some player ratings, shall we?
Sheffield United
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Aaron Ramsdale (GK) - 7/10 - Another game without a clean sheet for Ramsdale, but made a few crucial stops to keep the score down.
Chris Basham (CB) - 5/10 - Had a tough time dealing with the likes of Torres and Sterling, not knowing whether to get tight or back off, but was bright going forward.
John Egan (CB) - 6/10 - Egan led the defensive line well on the whole despite City's dominance in attack. Made a couple of vital last ditch interceptions and tackles.
Enda Stevens (CB) - 5/10 - With the away side seeing so much of the ball, Stevens was unable to get forward and influence the game in an attacking sense. Hardly a memorable performance.
2. Midfielders
George Baldock (RWB) - 4/10 - Didn't see too much of the ball, instead spent the majority of the game looking to deal with the runs made by Cancelo and Sterling.
Sander Berge (CM) - 6/10 - Was at the heart of most things positive the Blades did going forward, but was wasteful on a few occasions. His movement in the right channel caused a few problems for City.
Ethan Ampadu (CM) - 4/10 - It's a tough job trying to deal with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, isn't it? Didn't get much chance to show his quality on the ball either.
Ben Osborn (CM) - 3/10 - Was hardly involved in the first half and didn't contribute much defensively either, before being hooked on 55 minutes.
Max Lowe (LWB) - 4/10 - Was pushed back throughout the contest by Walker, but looked to break forward at speed when given the chance. Failed to really link up with those ahead of him, however.
3. Forwards
Oli McBurnie (FW) - 4/10 - Largely neutralised by City's defensive pairing and often found himself chasing lost causes.
Rhian Brewster (FW) - 4/10 - Was quiet for large parts, but wasted a glorious opportunity to equalise as he tried to lift the ball over Ederson.
4. Substitutes
John Lundstram - 6/10
Ollie Norwood - 5/10
David McGoldrick - 4/10
Manchester City
5. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Ederson (GK) - 7/10 - Wasn't forced into making any top drawer saves, but was typically confident and assured in his work.
Kyle Walker (RB) - 8/10 - Walker doesn't score many, so it was only fitting that he scored a beautiful goal against his hometown club. The right back was a constant threat all game.
Ruben Dias (CB) - 7/10 - Another no-nonsense display, and another excellent one as well. Commanding in his work, Dias never allowed the Blades' forwards the chance to get into the game.
Aymeric Laporte (CB) - 7/10 - The signs are very promising regarding Laporte and Dias, aren't they? Worked well with his centre-back partner, complimenting each other's game nicely.
Joao Cancelo (LB) - 7/10 - The Blades didn't know how to deal with Cancelo down the left, the Portuguese continuing to find space and pick out his teammates in menacing positions. Oh, and did we mention he created five chances in the first half alone? No? That's quite impressive.
6. Midfielders
Rodri (CM) - 6/10 - Looked more comfortable against the Blades, setting the platform for the likes of De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to flourish.
Bernardo Silva (CM) - 6/10 - Starting in a more central position instead of Phil Foden due to his energy and work rate both on and off the ball, Bernardo helped City dominate possession and continue to push the Blades back.
Kevin De Bruyne (CM) - 7/10 - While he may have been operating on the left of the midfield three, De Bruyne was still typically outstanding, playing passes that no other player could have even seen let alone attempted.
7. Forwards
Riyad Mahrez (RW) - 6/10 - Looked sharp in the build up and was constantly looking to get hold of the ball, but lacked an end product.
Raheem Sterling (LW) - 7/10 - Played with real confidence, constantly looking to be direct with the ball and commit his man. His link up play with Torres, in particular, was excellent.
Ferran Torres (ST) - 7/10 - Are we sure he's not a natural striker? Torres was once again bright up front for City, knowing when to come short and when to make a darting run in behind.
8. Substitutes
Phil Foden - 6/10
Ilkay Gundogan - 5/10
Source: 90min
