Following a three-month layoff, the English Premier League returns on Wednesday, with relegation strugglers Aston Villa hosting European chasers Sheffield United at Villa Park.
Aston Villa currently find themselves second from bottom in the table with 25 points to their name – four points ahead of bottom club Norwich City and two points from safety.
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It’s fair to say that Dean Smith’s side have struggled to adapt to the demands of top-flight football this season following promotion from the Championship last term.
However, victory on Wednesday would temporarily lift Villa out of the drop zone and above Bournemouth, Watford, and West Ham United, who are all locked on 27 points.
Still, four straight victories leading up to the break – including a 4-0 thrashing against Leicester in their previous outing – have left Villa with plenty of work to do if they want to avoid relegation.
By contrast, Sheffield United have enjoyed a remarkable 2019/20 campaign up to now. The Blades were promoted with Villa last season but have adjusted to the Premier League seamlessly.
Chris Wilder’s men return to action in seventh place – two points ahead of eighth-place Tottenham Hotspur and level with Wolves on 43 points.
Remarkably, a win for Sheff Utd on Wednesday would see them leapfrog Wolves and Manchester United and move up into fifth place – two points shy of Chelsea.
It’s no secret that the Blades’ success has been built on a solid backline. Indeed, only runaway leaders Liverpool have a better defensive record than Sheff Utd in the Premier League this season.
Sheff Utd claimed a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, extending their unbeaten run against Villa to three games.
In fact, Villa have only beaten Sheff Utd once in their previous six meetings in all competitions, while the Blades have scored over 1.5 goals on five occasions during that period.
Villa will be boosted by the return of John McGinn following a long-term injury, although duo Wesley and Tom Heaton remain sidelined.
On the other hand, Sheff Utd have no injury concerns ahead of their return to action, so Wilder has a full-strength squad to choose from.
While Sheff Utd boast the second-best defensive record in the division, Villa possess the unwanted tag of conceding the most goals in the Premier League this season.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Sheffield United will score over 2.5 goals on their way to victory on Wednesday. Aston Villa are expected to get on the scoresheet, but the Blades should come away with all three points.