Making a welcome return to enemy territory, a beleaguered Sheffield United side head south to face Bournemouth in Saturday's Premier League game at the Vitality Stadium.
The Blades ended up on the wrong side of English football history in a 6-0 dismantling at the hands of Arsenal on Monday, prior to which the Cherries ended their winless streak in a 2-0 beating of Burnley.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since putting three past Fulham without reply on Boxing Day, Bournemouth had tried and failed on seven occasions to post another Premier League victory, a far cry from the goal-laden renaissance that Andoni Iraola oversaw towards the end of 2023.
However, thanks to another wasteful display from Burnley at Turf Moor, the Cherries belatedly achieved their first top-flight win of 2024 last Sunday, where Justin Kluivert put the visitors ahead before the break and Antoine Semenyo put the result beyond doubt in the 88th minute.
Reacting well to their gut-wrenching FA Cup exit at the hands of Leicester City - who coincidentally benefitted from Bournemouth's lack of cutting edge on that occasion - the Cherries moved up one place in the rankings into 13th spot, now 11 points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town on the same number of games.
In fact, the Hatters will be Bournemouth's final opponent before the March international break, giving Iraola's men a prime opportunity to string together another morale-boosting winning sequence, so long as the hosts can avoid a shock beating at the hands of basement-dwelling Sheffield United.
After finally masterminding a Premier League win in 2024, next on Iraola's agenda is snapping a three-match winless run at the Vitality Stadium for the Cherries, who are unbeaten in seven straight games against promoted sides since returning to the big time themselves in 2022.
© Reuters
As hundreds of miserable Sheffield United supporters caught an early train home on Monday evening, those that stayed may have feared a record-breaking double-figure demolition against Arsenal, whose first-half flurry put them on course for the biggest Premier League win in history.
The Gunners would ultimately fall short in their bid for a nine or 10-goal trouncing, but efforts from Ben White, Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli - as well as a Jayden Bogle own goal - saw Mikel Arteta's title-chasers hit Chris Wilder's sorry side for six at Bramall Lane.
Becoming the first team in English league history to concede at least five goals in four straight home games and lose three consecutive home league fixtures by a five-goal margin or more, Sheffield United drew unwanted comparisons with 2007-08 Derby County and 1993-94 Swindon Town, although they are safe in the knowledge that they will not beat the Rams' worst-ever Premier League points record.
The Blades faithful will receive little comfort from that fact, though, as Wilder's 20th-placed troops - who have now conceded a staggering 72 Premier League goals this season - remain 11 points below Nottingham Forest in 17th, but they have alternated between a win and a loss in their last four away games in all competitions.
However, Sheffield United are still ranked last when it comes to Premier League points (five), wins (one) and goals scored (10) away from home, and they are without success in their last three competitive clashes with Bournemouth, going down 3-1 to the Cherries at Bramall Lane in late November.
Team News
© Reuters
Bournemouth managed to keep a profligate Burnley at bay despite losing Marcos Senesi to a hamstring injury with just 12 minutes on the clock last weekend, and the Argentina man will be absent until after the international break; Chris Mepham will therefore come in to partner Ilya Zabarnyi at the back.
Ryan Christie should be fine to feature despite succumbing to illness in the win over Burnley, and the luckless Tyler Adams might make the bench too, but Max Aarons (thigh), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Lloyd Kelly (hip) and James Hill (ankle) remain absent for the hosts.
Dominic Solanke's knee issue is still giving him a bit of grief, but the Cherries' top scorer is expected to be given the nod to line up from the off here.
As for Sheffield United, possibly the only positive from their crushing at the hands of Arsenal was seeing no more players enter the infirmary, but Wilder is certain to remain without at least nine players for the trip south.
Mason Holgate will serve the third and final game of his suspension this weekend, while Max Lowe (ankle), Rhys Norrington-Davies (thigh), Chris Basham (ankle), John Egan (ankle), Cameron Archer (calf), Anis Ben Slimane (thigh), Rhian Brewster (thigh) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) are still recovering.
The Auston Trusty left-back experiment on Monday evening blew up in Wilder's face as Saka ran his former teammate ragged - Ben Osborn was brought on for Oliver Norwood in a 17th-minute tactical change - and recalls for George Baldock and Ben Brereton Diaz could also be in order.
Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Mepham, Kerkez; Christie, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Solanke
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Grbic; Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Trusty; Baldock, Hamer, Souza, Osborn, Larouci; McAtee; Brereton Diaz
We say: Bournemouth 3-0 Sheffield United
Sheffield United have had more to shout about on the road than at home in the early stages of 2024, but an injury-hit crop also bereft of confidence could prove easy pickings for the Cherries on Saturday.
Iraola's men have not just rediscovered their winning feeling, but a killer instinct in front of goal, and the hosts should ease any lingering demotion worries while speeding up the Blades' inevitable return to the Championship.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
