Newcastle United cruised to a comfortable victory to confirm Sheffield United's relegation to the Championship.
It was the visitors who took the lead at St James' Park early on though. A short corner routine led to Anel Ahmedhodžić finishing off Gustavo Hamer's cross at the far post.
The Blades had started the game well but Newcastle equalised with their first shot on target. Jacob Murphy's accurate throughball found Alexander Isak in position to score.
It wasn't until early into the second half that the Magpies eventually took the lead. A whipped-in free-kick by Anthony Gordon found Bruno Guimarães at the far post to head the ball in.
From that point onwards it was a far easier afternoon for Eddie Howe's team.
It was 3-1 when Isak converted from the spot after Mason Holgate was judged to have brought Gordon down inside the area – a harsh-looking call for a foul that definitely started outside the box. Regardless, that penalty put Isak on 19 league goals for the season.
Just a few minutes later Newcastle United extended their lead even further. Gordon's corner from the right led to an ugly scramble that saw the ball trickle into the Sheffield United goal with Ben Osborn having the unlucky last touch.
The visitors' inability to keep hold of the ball led to them conceding a fifth when Newcastle quickly won it back with Harvey Barnes then charging forward before laying it off to Callum Wilson to make it 5-1.
The afternoon just about summed up what a difficult season in the Premier League for Chris Wilder's team. Newcastle were far from at their best today but they were still vastly superior to the Blades who will now officially return to the Championship after just one season.
Sheffield United have officially been relegated from the Premier League.#twitterblades #sufc pic.twitter.com/vuStfs00tg
— The Bladesman (@The_Bladesman) April 27, 2024
5-1 | ||
Alexander Isak 26' 61' (pen.) Bruno Guimarães 54' Callum Wilson 72' | Anel Ahmedhodzic 5' Ben Osborn 65' (o.g.) |