Reds look to keep Sheffield United at the bottom of the Premier League
United looking for 10th straight road win Thursday
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Manchester United will look to climb back into the top five of the Premier League Thursday when they travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United.
Lineup News
Edinson Cavani is a slight doubt for Thursday after missing the Manchester derby.
Anthony Martial was on the bench last weekend but may be fit to play.
Expect to see Alex Telles back in the lineup as well as he appears to be back to 100 percent.
Once again Phil Jones is out through injury though Eric Bailly was back on the bench last weekend.
Staying healthy has been a major problem for the Blades this season.
Don’t expect to see Jack O’Connell or Oli McBurnie for this game.
O’Connell is on the long-term injured list while McBurnie badly damaged his shoulder in their defeat to Southampton.
Kean Bryan is another injury concern for the Blades.
Lys Mousset, Max Lowe, and John Lundstram could all be available for Thursday’s home fixture.
On the Road Again
If there’s been one thing consistent for United of late it’s their ability to get results away from home.
It’s the biggest reason why they currently sit in the top half of the standings instead of fighting off relegation.
15 of the teams 20 points are from their matches on the road.
It’s a good thing because the Reds’ form at home has been dreadful in the Premier League.
They’ve got just one win and four points in six EPL fixtures at Old Trafford.
A win Thursday would be the club’s 10th straight league victory away from home.
If they can do that they’ll be only the 4th English side to achieve that feat in top-flight football.
A pair of goals Thursday would make the Reds the first side in 60 years to score two or more in 10 successive fixtures.
Home field meanwhile hasn’t been much of an advantage for Sheffield United this season.
The Blades have failed to win in their last seven matches at Bramall Lane.
Their only point of the season though did come at home in a 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Downward spiral
After finishing in the top half of the standings a season ago Chris Wilder’s side hasn’t been able to reclaim the magic so far in 2020-21.
14 wins and 12 draws put them in ninth place last season narrowly missing out on making the Europa League’s qualification stage.
This season’s been a nightmare for the Blades.
With one point from 12 matches, it’s the worst start of any team in the history of the Premier League.
Dean Henderson’s return to Man United and several key injuries have put Sheffield in real danger of being relegated to the Championship.
Keeping it Close
They may only have one point but the Blades have been able to hang around in most of their fixtures this season.
Eight of the team’s 11 losses were by a single goal.
Some of those narrow defeats have come against the elite teams of the Premier League including Manchester City, Liverpool, and Leicester City.
Goals
Keeping out goals is a big reason why the Blades are where they are in the league standings.
They’ve failed to keep a single clean sheet this season, conceding 21 goals so far.
United’s not been much better in that department lately.
Before last weekend’s dull 0-0 derby United had conceded in five straight matches across all competitions.
However, scoring goals hasn’t been much of a problem for United lately.
In its last five Premier League fixtures, they’ve scored three or more goals three times.
Scoring goals meanwhile has been a massive problem for the Blades never scoring more than one in a match all season.
They’re dead last statistically with just five goals in the Premier League.
Historically
History definitely favours Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men heading into this match.
United’s gone nine straight matches without losing to Sheffield United in both the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Last season the Blades did manage a 3-3 draw with the Reds at Bramall Lane.
The last time Sheffield scored a victory over the Reds was on Valentine’s Day 1993 when they beat them 2-1 in an FA Cup tie.
Match Info
Thursday’s match between the Reds and the Blades from Bramall Lane kicks off at 8 pm. (JSL).
