Sheffield United 1-3 Bournemouth: Marcus Tavernier brace secures win and sends Cherries flying over Blades as hosts sink to the bottom of the league despite Oliver McBurnie's late goal

It is probably a little premature to start labelling games as ‘must-win’ given that we are still over a month away from the turn of the year.

But for Sheffield United, a home game against a side only two places and four points above them at the start of the day really is as close as they will get to it.

Should they play anything like this at Bramall Lane again this season – whether it’s against a side in the top or bottom half of the table - then their stay in the Premier League will be short one.

Key to survival will be making Bramall Lane a fortress, especially against sides like Bournemouth. On this trip, the visitors could hardly have had it any easier.

Credit to Andoni Iraola's side, who played with precision, pace and intensity - all qualities that their opponents lacked.

Instead, so soft was this display that Sheffield United might as well have rolled out the red carpet for Bournemouth, with Marcus Tavernier’s opener setting the tone for the afternoon.

When the ball was played out to Antoine Semenyo on the right, there looked to be no inclination of danger. So early into such a big game, you expect to see a player in red and white in hot pursuit, snapping at his heels.

Instead, he was allowed to drift unchallenged into midfield, where he played in Tavernier, who was at the heart of everything good Bournemouth did all afternoon.

His clever touch gave him the space to smash past goalkeeper Wes Foderingham. And when Justin Kluivert zipped a shot wide not long after, groans from the home fans started to manifest themselves as boos.

Somehow they looked to be heading into the break only one goal behind, but a Foderingham howler put pay to that.

The Blades keeper almost tripped over his own feet when trying to control a long ball downfield. After a poor start from his team, he really needed to put his foot through the ball and send it into row Z.

Instead, he gifted the ball to Kluivert, who finished into an empty net.

At that point you started to fear a repeat of the 8-0 drubbing Sheffield United suffered on this ground at the hands of Newcastle was on the cards.

Those fears only grew when the brilliant Tavernier grabbed his second just after half-time.

He sneaked in at the far post to apply the finishing touch to Adam Smith’s cross after the full back was given the freedom of Sheffield to pick out his teammate.

Had it not been for Foderingham's heroics then the afternoon could have been a whole lot worse for Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose side could only muster one shot on goal.

The only real sign of fight his players showed was during a scuffle with Philip Billing, who escaped unpunished following a VAR check for violent conduct.

The Blades did pull a goal back in stoppage time through Oli McBurnie but ironic chants of 'We've scored a goal' tell the full story of not only the afternoon but the prospects for this season too.