Chris Wilder praises Sheffield United's big names for living up to billing at Luton Town

Three of the summer's main signings played a part in a 3-1 win at Kenilworth Road which might not keep them in the Premier League, but was very important for the morale of the club.

They responded to a 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa with their first away league win of 2023-24, drawing them level on points with Burnley.

Vinicius Souza, the most expensive recruit in a spartan first phase of the transfer window, was the Blades' best player, scoring a goal and making one. He conceded a penalty too, but only due to the stupidity of the handball law.

Alongside him, Gusatvo Hamer was a driving force until suffering a dead leg. Like £18m Cameron Archer he was a more ambitious buy funded by the sales of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye.

"Your big signings have got to turn up," said manager Wilder. "Your Hamers have got to turn up.

"I said to Gus, 'I left you out the team last week for a reason. I'm not going to leave my best players on the touchline, there's a reason and you should not have given me that reason to leave you out.'

"Gus and Vini are big signings for us so they need to be the leaders, the best players and the consistent performers everybody jumps in behind.

The Blades' woeful goal difference keeps them bottom of the division with 14 matches left, but the victory was still vital.

"You have to enjoy winning games so I won't take that away from them but I certainly won't get carried away thinking we've cracked it,” said Wilder.

Rhys Norrington-Davies came off inside five minutes to another hamstring injury six weeks after returning from one which kept him out more than a year. The good news was it was the opposite hamstring.