Sheffield United’s wait for a first Premier League victory of the season continues on Sunday against a Newcastle United side recovering from their return to Champions League football.
The Blades were leading Tottenham Hotspur going into the 98th minute last weekend but somehow conspired to snatch a 2-1 defeat from the jaws of victory. However, Paul Heckingbottom’s ire – publicly at least – was directed at the officials rather than his players.
Newcastle, despite being delayed by thunderstorms the day before, weathered the storm that AC Milan conjured on Tuesday night, eking out a 0-0 draw at San Siro.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s contest.
Sheffield Utd vs Newcastle H2H record (Last Five Games)
Current form (last five competitive games)
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event, SKY GO Extra |
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United States |
Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, SiriusXM FC, NBC Sports App, nbcsports.com, USA Network, fuboTV |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada |
Much to Heckingbottom’s bemusement, Oli McBurnie will be serving a suspension for the late red card he received against Spurs last Saturday.
McBurnie joins a swollen glut of blunted Blades in the treatment room. Two survivors from the club’s last Premier League campaign, John Egan (knee) and George Baldock (calf), could be back by the end of the month but are unlikely to feature as soon as this weekend.
John Fleck only began running again last week while Rhian Brewster and Rhys Norrington-Davies are being eased back from thigh issues. No return date has been placed on Daniel Jebbison’s recovery from illness.
Ben Osborn and Max Lowe are nursing serious groin and ankle injuries respectively.
Sheffield Utd predicted lineup (3-5-2): Foderingham; Robinson, Basham, Ahmedhodzic; Bogle, Vinicius, McAtee, Hamer, Thomas; Archer, Traore
Eddie Howe confirmed on Friday that midfielders Joe Willock and Joelinton would remain on the sidelines this weekend. Backup goalkeeper Martin Dubravka could be back on the bench after illness but long-term absentee Emil Krafth is still short of match fitness.
However, while injuries can be easily prescribed, the mental workload of a European tie is a complete unknown for most of Newcastle‘s squad. “You can’t measure what emotionally that game has taken out of the players,” Howe warned. “Physically you can, but can’t mentally, so we have to deal with that.”
Newcastle predicted lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Anderson, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Almiron, Wilson, Barnes
Sheffield United’s last Premier League campaign began with an interminable 17-game wait for the club’s first top-flight win of the season. Newcastle were the obliging opponents in January 2021.
However, the Magpies have recorded a net spend in excess of £350m across the subsequent two-and-a-half years – only three clubs on the planet can top that obscene sum in the same period.
The Blades have been under the majority control of Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz al Saud since February 2020, but are yet to experience the windfall that has swept across Tyneside since the same nation’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) led the takeover of Newcastle 18 months later.
In what may be a tighter contest than their bank balances suggest, the Blades likely won’t get their first win against Newcastle this year.
Prediction: Sheffield Utd 0-1 Newcastle
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