Two Premier Lague teams keen to quickly put aside midweek defeats do battle at Bramall Lane on Saturday, as basement club Sheffield United play host to top-four hopefuls Aston Villa.
While the Blades suffered a 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace on Tuesday, Villa were beaten 3-1 at home against Newcastle United on the same evening.
Match preview
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Sheffield United could not have asked for a better start against Palace as January signing Ben Brereton Diaz opened the scoring after just 20 seconds; the Chile international – who also netted on his debut against West Ham United last week – became just the second Blades players after Brian Deane back in 1992 to score in both of his first two Premier League games for the club.
James McAtee then found the net in between two strikes from Palace star Eberechi Eze during a frantic first half-hour, but Sheffield United eventually came away from Selhurst Park empty handed as Michael Olise scored what proved to be the winner on the 67-minute mark, condemning the visitors to their 16th league defeat of the campaign.
Chris Wilder was not too critical of his team after the match and acknowledged that the "individual brilliance" of Eze and Olise can "destroy your game plan", but the Blades remain rooted to the foot of the table and are in serious risk of an immediate return to the Championship as they sit eight points adrift of safety.
A potentially pivotal trip to Luton Town is on the horizon for Sheffield United, but they must first turn their attention to Saturday's clash with Villa, a side who the Blades have beaten in each of their last three home meetings by an aggregate score of 7-1.
Wilder's fourth game in charge after returning to the club for a second stint in the dugout was against Villa in the reverse fixture on December 22, when his side came away with a respectable point following a 1-1 draw. However, Cameron Archer's 87th-minute strike – which seemed to be the winner – was cancelled out by a 97th-minute equaliser by Nicolo Zaniolo.
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Following three successive away games to kick-start the New Year, Unai Emery's Aston Villa side were welcomed back to Villa Park with an elaborate fireworks display before kickoff for their first home fixture of 2024, but there was no sparkle from the hosts on the pitch as a clinical Newcastle outfit put them to the sword 3-1.
A first-half brace from Fabian Schar was followed by an Alex Moreno own goal seven minutes after the break to put the Magpies three goals to the good. Ollie Watkins then pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining, but Villa failed to make their dominance in possession pay as they were condemned to their first home league defeat since February last year.
Emery was left 'frustrated' after his side's 17-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League came to an abrupt end, and a run of just one win in their last five top-flight matches has seen Villa's audacious title challenge hit the buffers; the Lions have slipped out of the top four and down to fifth place, while leaders Liverpool now sit eight points clear of Emery's men following their 4-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday.
Villa will be targeting a positive run of form in the coming weeks with favourable-looking fixtures against bottom-half quartet Sheffield United, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Luton on the horizon, but success is not a given on Saturday as they have only won two of their last 10 meetings with the Blades in all competitions.
Form on the road has also left little to be desired this term, as Villa have won four, lost four and draw three of their 11 Premier League away games, keeping just two clean sheets and conceding 19 goals in the process – such form does not bode well ahead of their latest trip to Bramall Lane where they last won in January 2018 (1-0) courtesy of a 90th-minute winner from Robert Snodgrass.
Team News
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Sheffield United's Chris Basham (ankle), John Egan (foot), George Baldock (unspecified) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) all remain long-term absences, while Tom Davies (thigh) and Max Lowe (unspecified) are closing in on a return, but Saturday's game will come too soon for the pair.
January signing Ivo Grbic was forced off with a head injury in the defeat at Crystal Palace and, due to concussion protocols, has emerged as a doubt; Wes Foderingham is in contention to return between the sticks as a result.
Rhian Brewster will serve the third and final game of his three-match suspension, but Wilder still has plenty of attacking options at his disposal with Brereton Diaz, Archer, Oli McBurnie and Will Osula all battling for starts in the final third.
As for Aston Villa, Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings (both knee) remain long-term absentees, while Pau Torres (ankle), Lucas Digne (thigh) and Jhon Duran (hamstring) are all targeting a return later this month.
Bertrand Traore is available to return as his time with Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations has come to an end, but the winger is only expected to feature among the substitutes' bench at best, and the same applies for transfer deadline-day signing Morgan Rogers who could be in contention to make his debut.
Jacob Ramsey managed to shake off a thigh issue to make a substitute appearance against Newcastle, and while the Villa academy graduate will be pushing to start in midfield, he is unlikely to displace any of John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara or Douglas Luiz; Youri Tielemans, meanwhile, could make way, but Emery may choose to select either Zaniolo or Leon Bailey in his place.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Bogle, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Trusty; McAtee, Hamer, Souza, Slimane, Brereton Diaz; McBurnie
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno; Bailey, Kamara, Luiz, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins
We say: Sheffield United 1-2 Aston Villa
Every game is a must-win for Sheffield United and their dogged display in the reverse fixture with Aston Villa will provide them with confidence heading into their latest test at Bramall Lane, where they have accumulated eight of their 10 Premier League points this season.
However, Emery will be keen to see a response from his Villa side following their recent dip in form, and with a top-four finish still firmly in their sights, we can see a fired-up Lions outfit coming out on top in South Yorkshire.
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