England Premier League
Sunday 27th August 2023
Kick off at 2pm BST
Venue: Bramall Lane
Match Preview:
It’s not been a good start for newly promoted Sheffield United who have lost both of their opening games and will now face the champions, well when has the Premier League ever been easy!
The Blades were first cut down at home to Crystal Palace losing that game 1-0 and that was an obvious disappointment in their first home game of the season, like pulling the plug out of the party. They then followed this up with a 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest but for United they will have to focus on what happens at home if they are going to have any chance of staying up this season, that is what will be key. It doesn’t appear that their fortune is going to change this weekend though.
Manchester City will be the outstanding odds on favourites to win their 3rd game in a row but they will also take note of Bramall Lane and its atmosphere and the need for the home side to pick up something positive from this game. City have looked solid so far with a 3-0 win over Burnley and an important 1-0 home victory over possible title challengers Newcastle. They have also won the UEFA Super Cup in between those games, so this has been a positive start for the club. The only real negative and it is quite a big one is that they have lost the services of Kevin De Bruyne until December at least and that is a big blow for the club, but they have continued to recruit and in has come Jeremy Doku from Rennes for £55m as their new winger.
Team News:
Sheffield United: Anis Ben-Slimane remains a major doubt with a hamstring injury, Jayden Bogle is set to miss out again with his knee. George Baldock could be assessed due to his calf injury and hasn’t been fully ruled out. Rhian Brewster is struggling with fitness issues. John Fleck is out with a leg injury, Ismaila Coulibaly looks likely not to feature again due to his knee injury. Daniel Jebbison is out with his groin, Max Lowe has an ankle injury and is expected to be sidelined. Oliver McBurnie will be assessed after a lack of match fitness, it is the same situation for Rhys Norrington-Davies.
Manchester City: Bernardo Silva has missed the last two games due to illness but is expected back for this fixture. John Stones is out for the next three weeks at least due to a muscle injury. Kevin De Bruyne could miss the next 4 months due to his hamstring injury.
Head to Head:
The last time the sides played a league game here was in 2020 and Manchester City won 1-0.
The teams did meet earlier this year in the FA Cup, although Manchester City were at home and they won 3-0.
Manchester City have won the last 5 meetings in a row.
Prediction:
There is a clear gulf between these teams and we expect Manchester City to win the game but also face a battle, we don’t see the Blades lying down here and that is an example of how hard playing in the Premier League has become. Indeed a look at the history between the two sides suggests games that have been close scores. We would have to go back to 1999 when City smashed the Blades 6-0 but apart from that usually just one goal has separated the sides.
For goalscorers there is the obvious choice in Erling Haaland and he of course is a very dangerous player and nobody would be surprised if he bagged a few more here. However if we include the back end of last season his form has not been good, he is approaching 10 games and 2 goals scored in all competitions, so let’s look at some different choices to get the goals in this game for City that also represent better value.
Betting Tips:
1st Half: Correct Score: 1-1 or 2-1 to Manchester City at 10.00 and 17.00
Anytime goalscorer: Julian Alvarez at 2.25
Anytime goalscorer: Jack Grealish at 4.00
The 'PLACE BET' button will take you to BetUK.com, where these selections can be found. Please gamble responsibly, 18+ BeGambleAware.org
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