Sheffield United will have a big battle ahead of them when they face Premier League holders Liverpool at Bramall Lane tomorrow evening (kick-off: 7: 15 PM), with an injury crisis to deal with and fighting what seems impossible relegation battle.
Last week the Blades lost 1-0 at relegation rivals Fulham in a match that may have put the first nail in the relegation coffin, so to speak. That defeat has turned a relegation battle from an uphill struggle to a mountain rescue with fourteen points now dividing them from the safety zone, which is currently held by Newcastle United.
Out of the 25 Premier League games played so far, the Blades have lost 20 and 14 of these defeats were lost by a single goal.
They came mighty close to causing an upset in their last fixture at Premier League Champions Liverpool, losing two-one but the splendid performance they put in had given the Blades supporters hope that positive results would soon around the corner, however, there hopes have been dashed with just three wins and two draws accumulated all season. After a shaky start the Blades, surprisingly took the lead via a Sander Berge penalty after VAR ruled that Oli McBurnie had been tripped inside the box. The hosts levelled shortly before half-time when Roberto Firmino pounced to score after Aaron Ramsdale had saved Sadio mane’s header. Mohammed Salah saw a goal ruled out for offside and Diogo Jota headed home Mane’s cross to give Liverpool the victory.
Blades boss Chris Wilder has faced a huge issue with injuries throughout the season, with midfielder Sander Berge and defender Jack O’Connell missing the majority of the campaign through injury and are not likely to return any time soon. He has now added key defenders John Egan (foot), and Chris Basham (hamstring) to that list, making last season’s influential trio all absent through injury and may have to recall Enda Stevens into the heart of the defence, playing alongside Ethan Ampadu and Phil Jagielka with Jayden Bogle taking up the left wing-back position.
Past Premier League Results… vs. Liverpool
19.08.1992 – Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United
12.09.1992 – Sheffield United 1-0 Liverpool
26.12.1993 – Sheffield United 0-0 Liverpool
02.04.1994 – Liverpool 1-2 Sheffield United
19.08.2006 – Sheffield United 1-1 Liverpool
24.02.2007 – Liverpool 4-0 Sheffield United
28.09.2019 – Sheffield United 0-1 Liverpool
02.01.2020 – Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield United
24.10.2020 – Liverpool 2-1 Sheffield United
Match Officials
Referee: Jonathan Moss.
Assistants: Marc Perry, Dan Robathan.
Fourth official: Lee Mason.
VAR: Andy Madley. Assistant
VAR: Matthew Wilkes.
Forthcoming Blades Fixtures;
*All fixtures are subject to change
03 Mar – Aston Villa (h)
06 Mar – Southampton (h) – 15:00
13 Mar – Leicester City (a) – 15:00
03 Apr – Leeds United (a) – 15:00
10 Apr – Arsenal (h) – 15:00
17 Apr – Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) – 15:00
24 Apr – Brighton & Hove Albion (h) – 15:00
01 May – Tottenham Hotspur (a) – 15:00
08 May – Crystal Palace (h) – 15:00
11 May – Everton (a) – 19:45
15 May – Newcastle United (a) – 15:00
23 May – Burnley (h) – 16:00