Chris Wilder plays down Jack Robinson's spat with Dominic Calvert-Lewin during Sheffield United v Everton

Chris Wilder played down his skipper Jack Robinson’s spat with former Blade Dominic Calvert-Lewin during Sheffield United’s defeat at Everton this afternoon. The relegated Blades lost 1-0 on their final visit to Goodison Park thanks to Abdoulaye Doucouré’s first-half header from Calvert-Lewin’s cross.

But the first-half flashpoint was between the former United striker and Robinson, who shoved Calvert-Lewin to the floor and sparked a mini-melee between both sets of players. Referee Stuart Attwell showed the United skipper a yellow card, with VAR not overturning the decision and play continued.

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Calvert-Lewin was also booked for his part in the situation while Doucouré involved himself before complaining to Attwell after getting a bit back from Robinson and his United teammates. Evertonians were furious that the former Liverpool man Robinson was not shown a red card but Wilder said afterwards: “I know it’ll be talked about, Jack’s little spat with Dom. I’ve got no issue with either player. They both want to win for their football clubs, and I’d like to think that Evertonians know their football as well and will understand that.

“They might have seen that in a situation or two over the years. You support it when it’s your team and you look at it differently when it’s against, but at least he’s showing some fight and some desire to influence his team and get them going.

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“I think it’s the correct decision but I know other people will think that in modern-day football, by the letter of the law, something else should have happened. But I’m glad the referee and the VAR took the sensible decision.”

United huffed and puffed but didn’t have enough quality to get back on level terms, with Cameron Archer seeing a couple of chances go begging and Andre Brooks forcing Jordan Pickford to parry his shot away in the first half.