Still seeking to claim their first Premier League win of the season, basement club Sheffield United play host to a resurgent Wolverhampton Wanderers side at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.
The South Yorkshire club are preparing to face their West Midlands counterparts for the first time since losing 3-0 away from home in the FA Cup fourth round in January last year.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since claiming their first and only point of the 2023-24 Premier League season in a 2-2 draw with Everton at the beginning of September, Sheffield United have suffered six straight defeats and have conceded a total of 22 goals, more than any other team in the division.
The Blades were put to the sword in emphatic fashion by Arsenal last weekend as the Gunners secured a thumping 5-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, largely thanks to an Eddie Nketiah hat-trick, and the pressure continues to mount on the shoulders of head coach Paul Heckingbottom.
Sheffield United's injury woes have not helped their cause so far this season, but there have been few signs to suggest that the Blades are capable of preserving their top-flight status, and they already find themselves five points adrift of 17th-placed Bournemouth, while Everton and Nottingham Forest in 15th and 16th respectively are nine points ahead of the South Yorkshire club.
Heckingbottom will be targeting an upturn in form for his Blades side in the coming weeks, with three of their next four fixtures against teams who either finished in the bottom half last season or secured promotion from the second tier.
Success on Saturday could prove challenging, though, as Sheffield United have only won one of their last six meetings with Wolves in all competitions – a slender 1-0 home victory in July 2020.
© Reuters
Wolves, meanwhile, head to Bramall Lane boasting a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, their longest without defeat since an eight-match streak between February and June in 2020.
Victories over reigning champions Manchester City and Bournemouth took place in between draws with Luton Town, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, with Gary O'Neil's side claiming a point against the latter in a 2-2 draw at Molineux last weekend.
Mario Lemina headed home his first goal for Wolves in between two Callum Wilson strikes, before Hwang Hee-chan scored his sixth consecutive league goal at Molineux midway through the second half to force both sides to share the spoils.
Some sections of the football community tipped Wolves to endure a battle at the wrong end of the Premier League table this season following a turbulent summer, but O'Neil and co currently sit seven points clear of the relegation zone in 12th place, and a win on Saturday could see them climb to as high as eighth if other results go their way.
Wolves have every reason to feel confident of claiming maximum points against Sheffield United as they have won each of their last three league meetings with the Blades, including a 2-0 success in their last league visit to Bramall Lane in September 2020.
Team News
© Reuters
Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie is the latest name to join the club's growing injury list after being ruled out for 'weeks' with a groin problem; Chris Basham (broken leg), John Egan (Achilles) Max Lowe (ankle), Anel Ahmedhodzic (hamstring), Rhys Norrington-Davies, Tom Davies (both thigh), William Osula (muscle) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) are also in the treatment room.
George Baldock recovered from a calf issue to feature as a second-half substitute last weekend, and the right-back will look to force his way into the starting lineup against Wolves at the expense of Jayden Bogle.
Rhian Brewster struggled to make the desired impact on his first Premier League start of the season against Arsenal, so summer signing Cameron Archer could be recalled in attack, while James McAtee and Gustavo Hamer are set to provide the creativity in advanced midfield roles.
As for Wolves, star winger Pedro Neto is facing several weeks on the sidelined after being stretchered off in the draw with Newcastle with a hamstring injury.
Hugo Bueno is also nursing a hamstring problem, while Joe Hodge is ruled out for between eight and 12 weeks after undergoing shoulder surgery, but Jean-Ricner Bellegarde could be in a position to return from a muscle issue.
The absence of Neto could see Pablo Sarabia recalled to the first XI or Matheus Cunha moved out wide, allowing either Sasa Kalajdzic or Fabio Silva to start as the central striker.
Tommy Doyle, who helped Sheffield United secure promotion to the Premier League during a loan spell at the club last season, is set to battle with Lemina, Boubacar Traore and Joao Gomes for a start in centre-midfield.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Foderingham; Bogle, Trusty, Robinson, Thomas; Souza, Norwood, Slimane; McAtee, Hamer; Archer
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti; Semedo, Traore, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Kalajdzic, Hwang
We say: Sheffield United 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have conceded in each of their last eight games across all competitions, which bodes well for Sheffield United who have scored in three of their last four home league matches and are desperate to end their miserable winless run.
The absence of Neto will be felt by the visitors, but they should have enough quality within their squad to outscore the Blades and claim all three points in South Yorkshire.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
