Match ends, Sheffield United 1, Bristol City 0.
Billy Sharp's penalty sent Sheffield United into the FA Cup quarter-finals at the expense of 10-man Championship side Bristol City.
The game's defining moment came when David McGoldrick's goal-bound shot hit defender Alfie Mawson on the hand.
After viewing replays on the video screen, referee Robert Jones sent off Mawson and awarded the Blades a penalty, which Sharp slammed home.
United had the better chances, with Max Lowe hitting the bar in the first half.
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The draw for the quarter-finals is on Thursday, before Barnsley's tie with Chelsea (20:00 GMT). The sixth-round ties will be played on the weekend of 20 and 21 March.
Bristol City manager Dean Holden said VAR is "killing the game" and added that the red card and penalty would not have been awarded had his side been at home.
VAR is only used in FA Cup games at Premier League stadiums.
Holden told BBC Sport: "To lose that way to a VAR penalty is disappointing. If it would have been played at Ashton Gate it wouldn't have been given.
"I don't know how you can have it at one and not the other. I'm not a VAR fan - I think it's killing the game. It's not the game of football I grew up loving.
"It's a hugely debatable decision. The boys defended for their lives and once the referee goes to the screen he will never change his mind, so it's disappointing."
Bristol City gave a good account of themselves despite being on a three-game losing run in the second tier and with 11 players sidelined.
Nahki Wells missed their best chance at the start of the second half when the forward shot straight at Aaron Ramsdale in a one-on-one - while Jamie Paterson was unmarked in the centre.
Chris Wilder's Blades - who also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals last season - deserved their victory with McGoldrick and Jayden Bogle each going close twice.
But in the end they needed the intervention of VAR to spot Mawson's handball - which deflected the ball onto the bar - to give Sharp the opportunity to fire his side into the last eight.
Wilder said: "Hopefully we can use this momentum as we have done previously to see if we can pick some points up in the Premier League.
"A win's a win. We haven't had enough of them this season. That's what the message was to the players.
"The manner of our goal will be debated and it might look like a tight game but we always looked comfortable and like we were going to go through to the next round."
Blades' best cup pedigree in 17 years - match stats
- Sheffield United have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2002-03 and 2003-04.
- Bristol City have not won an FA Cup away game against a top-flight side since January 1994 (1-0 v Liverpool).
- After failing to win any of their first eight home games in 2020-21, Sheffield United have now won four of their last six games at Bramall Lane.
- Billy Sharp has been directly involved in half of Sheffield United's goals at Bramall Lane this season (6/12), scoring five goals and providing one assist.
- Sharp has converted nine of his last 10 penalties (excluding shootouts), including all three this season.
- Alfie Mawson is the first Bristol City player to be sent off in an FA Cup game since January 2012.
Player of the match
TowlerRyley Towler
Sheffield United
Avg
- Squad number10Player nameSharpAverage rating
6.25
- Squad number22Player nameAmpaduAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number17Player nameMcGoldrickAverage rating
5.89
- Squad number20Player nameBogleAverage rating
5.79
- Squad number6Player nameBashamAverage rating
5.55
- Squad number24Player nameBrewsterAverage rating
5.49
- Squad number12Player nameEganAverage rating
5.44
- Squad number14Player nameBurkeAverage rating
5.43
- Squad number1Player nameRamsdaleAverage rating
5.33
- Squad number13Player nameLoweAverage rating
5.27
- Squad number4Player nameFleckAverage rating
5.26
- Squad number7Player nameLundstramAverage rating
5.20
- Squad number16Player nameNorwoodAverage rating
5.10
Bristol City
Avg
- Squad number34Player nameTowlerAverage rating
6.58
- Squad number22Player nameKalasAverage rating
6.52
- Squad number10Player namePatersonAverage rating
6.51
- Squad number12Player nameO'LearyAverage rating
6.49
- Squad number23Player nameMooreAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number20Player nameWilliamsAverage rating
6.45
- Squad number26Player nameVynerAverage rating
6.34
- Squad number9Player nameDiédhiouAverage rating
6.32
- Squad number2Player nameHuntAverage rating
6.24
- Squad number21Player nameWellsAverage rating
6.13
- Squad number45Player namePalmerAverage rating
6.12
- Squad number4Player nameNagyAverage rating
6.06
- Squad number5Player nameMawsonAverage rating
6.03
- Squad number42Player nameMassengoAverage rating
5.91
- Squad number18Player nameSemenyoAverage rating
5.90
Line-ups
Sheff Utd
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Ramsdale
- 6Basham
- 12Egan
- 22Ampadu
- 20Bogle
- 7Lundstram
- 4Fleck
- 13Lowe
- 17McGoldrick
- 24BrewsterSubstituted forBurkeat 83'minutes
- 10SharpSubstituted forNorwoodat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 9McBurnie
- 11Mousset
- 14Burke
- 15Jagielka
- 16Norwood
- 18Foderingham
- 23Osborn
- 29Bryan
- 35Maguire
Bristol City
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 12O'Leary
- 23Moore
- 22Kalas
- 5MawsonBooked at 65mins
- 2Hunt
- 10PatersonSubstituted forPalmerat 76'minutes
- 26Vyner
- 34Towler
- 20WilliamsSubstituted forNagyat 57'minutes
- 21WellsSubstituted forMassengoat 73'minutes
- 9DiédhiouSubstituted forSemenyoat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Bentley
- 4Nagy
- 18Semenyo
- 19Mariappa
- 28Pearson
- 30Bakinson
- 33Bell
- 42Massengo
- 45Palmer
- Referee:
- Robert Jones
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home62%
- Away38%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away2
- Corners
- Home6
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away12
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Sheffield United 1, Bristol City 0.
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Foul by Oliver Norwood (Sheffield United).
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Taylor Moore (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt blocked. Oliver Burke (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Ampadu.
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John Fleck (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City).
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Antoine Semenyo.
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Attempt blocked. Max Lowe (Sheffield United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Oliver Norwood.
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Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Jack Hunt.
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Oliver Burke (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Jack Hunt (Bristol City).
Substitution
Substitution, Sheffield United. Oliver Burke replaces Rhian Brewster.
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Jayden Bogle (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ryley Towler (Bristol City).
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Foul by Rhian Brewster (Sheffield United).
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Han-Noah Massengo (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by John Lundstram (Sheffield United).
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Kasey Palmer (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Bristol City. Kasey Palmer replaces Jamie Paterson.
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