Dalot Blades stunner is the perfect tribute to Sir Bobby

"THERE'S only one Sir Bobby Charlton" the United supporters sang prior to kickoff. Diogo Dalot paid his own personal tribute.

- SAMUEL LUCKHURST

Charlton used to leather old bags of air that had the weight of a medicine ball with a technique the modern player can only dream of. He would have approved of Dalot's whipped strike from distance that Wes Foderingham could only glove.

Dalot raced jubilantly towards the United supporters, who lit a red flare. Substitute Hannibal Mejbri was quick to embrace him and starters soon followed.

With United homing in on victory, their supporters repeatedly sang their tributes to the great Charlton hours after it was announced he had passed away at the age of 86.

Charlton was a fixture at United matches in retirement until late 2019 and he would often visit the dressing room to congratulate or commiserate. A handful of the players in the squad at Bramall Lane will have enjoyed the privilege of pressing the flesh of a legend who stopped the other greats of the game in their stride.

The Reds ground it out after grinding Sheffield United down. For the first time this season, they have recorded two successive Premier League wins. To achieve a third, they will have to prevail in the season's first derby next weekend. It has been a while since a United goal felt like it was coming, albeit against a downtrodden Sheffield United. Their first-half performance was in keeping with United's meek form this season but the Reds took command of the contest after the pause. Sofyan Amrabat smacked the upright yet a winning goal never felt elusive. United's expectant supporters sensed a winner well before Dalot whipped the ball in.