With the Premier League title race all but over, Manchester City head to Bramall Lane on Tuesday night looking to solidify second place in the table. On the other hand, Sheffield United are aiming to keep their top-six ambitions alive.
Pep Guardiola’s side are now 16 points behind league-leaders Liverpool after being held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace on Saturday. To make matters worse, the Reds also have a game in hand over the reigning champions.
Man City were behind for the majority of the game against Palace as Cenk Tosun put the Eagles ahead in the first half. A late brace from Sergio Aguero looked like handing City all three points, but a 90th minute Fernandinho own goal saw the game end all square.
Guardiola’s men were completely dominant, registering 73% possession while notching up 25 shots. However, they failed to make their superiority count and were made to pay.
Sheffield United also drew their previous game after coming from behind to rescue a point at the Emirates. Arsenal took the lead through Gabriel Martinelli just before half time, before John Fleck’s late strike earned the Blades a vital point.
Chris Wilder’s side are now seventh in the table and just six points off the top four. Sheff Utd’s record of W8-D9-L6 is remarkable for a newly promoted team and keeps them in the race for a place in Europe next season.
Only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the Blades in the top-flight this term. By contrast, Man City are the division’s highest scoring side in 2019/20, so it’s set to be an intriguing encounter on Tuesday.
Goals from Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne handed City the win when the two teams met at the end of December. Sheff Utd managed to keep City out until the 52nd minute in their previous meeting, but can they stop City scoring this time around?
The Blades have enjoyed a relatively injury-free campaign so far and Wilder will again have a full squad to choose from when Man City come to town.
As for City, with long-term absentees Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte close to returning to full fitness, Guardiola also has plenty of options for Tuesday’s clash.
Man City have scored at a rate of over 2.5 goals per game this season. So, despite Sheff Utd’s impressive defensive record, we’re likely to see goals at Bramall Lane.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score, but Man City are likely to come out on top.