the times | Tuesday September 15 2020 2GM 61
Premier LeagueSport
Perhaps motivation for their electric
start came from Nuno Espírito Santo
signing a new contract on the eve of
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ first game
— the push from his players to charge
into the new season and to forget that it
had been only 34 days since the end of
their previous one.
Little more than a month since their
defeat by Seville in the Europa League
quarter-finals, Nuno’s players under-
lined why he has committed to stay for
another three years at one of the
league’s most intriguing teams, a
healthy blend of individual talent,
collective energy and tactical nous.
If they had a weakness last season, it
was their inability to begin games well.
It is a curious statistic that they had not
scored a goal in the first eight minutes
of their previous 75 games. Indeed, for a
team that finished seventh last season,
they only had seven half-time leads.
22 campaigns rather than last season.
The handbook, for the first time, also
includes the rule that clubs will have to
play behind-closed-doors matches at
neutral stadiums if a safety certificate
cannot be secured for their home
ground. Last season, police chiefs
proposed that some matches be played
at neutral venues because of concerns
that fans would gather outside grounds.Premier League clubs are facing cash
reductions of up to £17.3 million
because of the £330 million rebate
owed to broadcasters after the suspen-
sion caused by lockdown.
The totals for each club, shown in the
Premier League’s handbook for the
2020-21 season, will depend on where
they finished in the league table, with
the champions, Liverpool, having the
biggest reduction — set to be
£17.3 million (10 per cent) of their
£161.1 million earnings.
The clubs at the top have a higher
percentage reduction because prize
money and part of the overseas TV
income is allocated based on position in
the table. The reductions will be taken
off earnings from the 2020-21 and 2021-Sheffield United (3-5-2); A Ramsdale 5 —
C Bashsam 6 (D McGoldrick 70min), J Egan 7,
J O’Connell 6 — G Baldock 6, J Lundstram 5,
O Norwood 6 (S Berge 76), J Fleck 7, E Stevens 5
— O McBurnie 6, B Sharp 7. Booked McBurnie,
Egan. Subs not used O Burke, P Jagielka, E
Ampadu, W Foderingham, B Osborn.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-2-1): R Patrício 6
— W Boly 7, C Coady 7, R Saïss 8 — A Traoré 6,
L Dendoncker 7, J Moutinho 8, F Marcel 6 (V
Ferreira 86) — P Neto 7 (O Burr 69, 5), D Podence
8 (R Neves 76) — R Jiménez 8. Booked Marcel.
Subs not used F Silva, D Jota, J Ruddy, R Vinagre.
Referee M Dean.PETER POWELL/POOLMartin Hardy
Wolves finally get fast start
The contrast to what emerged at
Bramall Lane was telling. Chris Wilder,
similarly, has a team who, rightly, pride
themselves on their energy and intensi-
ty, but Sheffield United were blown
away in the opening six minutes of their
new Premier League season.
In that short, sharp burst came
victory. Against a team
marshalled so well by Conor
Coady, assisted by the two
central defenders beside
him, Willy Boly and the
goalscoring Romain
Saïss, there was much to
admire. There was
plenty of fresh energy
and fine saves, and the
woodwork was struck by
both teams, but Wolves
were worthy winners.
Their start was scintillating. In
the second minute Wolves countered
with ruthless efficiency, João Moutinho
cleverly clipping a ball from deep in his
own half, to free Daniel Podence. He
charged down the visitors’ left, evaded a
wild lunge from John Lundstram and
sent over a left-footed cross that
bounced once in the United penalty
area before Raúl Jiménez then placed afine finish into the corner of Aaron
Ramsdale’s goal.
The goalkeeper’s first piece of action
after his £18.5 million move from
Bournemouth was to pick the ball out
of the net, an act he would repeat three
minutes later, and he was more culpa-
ble this time. A left-wing corner from
Neto helped Saïss to lose the
covering defender, Enda
Stevens, and his header flew
past the right arm of
Ramsdale.
“Everybody must be
proud and happy,” Nuno
said. “Both teams went
for it. We have the same
philosophy: as a team stay
humble, be brave, and
improve ourselves. We fight
for every ball and this is what
pleases me the most.”
Wilder’s team did not recover until
the second half, when they resembled
the team that finished ninth last season.
John Fleck struck a post in the 51st
minute and then, just before the hour,
Billy Sharp played a low ball across the
six-yard box that was inches away from
Oli McBurnie’s right foot.
Ramsdale excelled with a right-handed fingertip save to a drive from
Saïss before Adama Traoré ended a
typically powerful run with a shot that
deflected wide.
The excellent Jiménez had a header
clip the outside of the post with six
minutes remaining and, deep into stop-
page time, Saïss was there again to clear
a McBurnie header off the Wolves goal-
line.
“The season kicked off at six minutes
past six for us,” Wilder said. “Unfortu-
nately, we were two-nil down by then.
The two goals were avoidable. It’s
always a test being two down, but we
didn’t put the white flag out. The
players stuck at it, we just lacked a touch
of quality in good positions.”Sheffield United
Wo l ve s
Jiménez 3, Saïss 60
2
Jiménez pounced after only three minutes to open the scoring for Wolves, the first time in 75 games that they have scored in the opening eight minutes of a fixture
28
Goals from Jiménez in all
competitions since start of
last season, bettered only
by Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang and
Raheem Sterling
(both 31)Biggest TV earnings losses
Expected reductions due to £330m
broadcast rebate from 2019-20 Premier
League seasonLiverpool
Man City
Chelsea
Man Utd
Leicester
Arsenal
Tottenham
Sheff Utd
Wolves
Everton
Burnley
Southampton
Newcastle
Crystal Palace
West Ham
Brighton
Aston Villa
Watford
Bournemouth
Norwich17.3
16.8
16.3
16.2
15.8
15
14.8
14.7
14.2
13.5
13.4
13.3
12.7
11.9
11.6
11.3
10.3
9.1
9
7.1£m
£330m rebate
hits top clubs
the hardest
Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter