Sheffield United will continue their seemingly impossible fight for Premier League survival when Aston Villa visit Bramall Lane on Wednesday.
The Blades find themselves six points adrift at the bottom of the table and a whopping 15 points shy of certain safety
Morning, Villans! 💜Enjoy highlights of our first 𝗪 at Elland Road since December 2000. 😍 pic.twitter.com/i4RmsRmo2L— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 28, 2021
Morning, Villans! 💜Enjoy highlights of our first 𝗪 at Elland Road since December 2000. 😍 pic.twitter.com/i4RmsRmo2L
Meanwhile, Aston Villa have slipped to ninth in the standings – six points off the Champions League places – following a slight downturn in form.
Sheff Utd’s dismal season has seen them win just three of their 26 Premier League games in 2020/21, registering two draws and 21 defeats in the process.
Unsurprisingly, Chris Wilder’s men are the lowest scorers in the league, having netted just 15 goals this term.
Each of the Blades’ three league wins this season came in a five-game streak between mid-January and early February.
However, since then, Sheffield United have suffered four straight defeats to Chelsea, West Ham, Fulham and Liverpool – scoring just once in that time.
It goes without saying that Sheff Utd will need to produce a miraculous turnaround if they are to avoid relegation and stay in the top-flight this year.
On the flip side, Aston Villa made a strong start to the season, but they have since become of the league’s most inconsistent teams in recent months.
In their previous ten matches, Villa have registered four wins, one draw and five defeats – slipping from fifth to ninth in the table as a result.
However, Dean Smith’s men managed to end a run of one win in four games by getting the better of Leeds last time out.
Despite seeing just 30% possession at Elland Road, Villa beat Leeds 1-0, with Anwar El Ghazi’s fifth-minute goal proving to be the difference between the teams.
Aston Villa may have slipped to ninth in the table, but they are still only six points shy of the top four – and 28 points better off than Sheff Utd!
Head-to-head: Back in September, Aston Villa claimed a 1-0 victory over Sheff Utd in the reverse fixture at Villa Park.
Villa have only lost one of their previous four meetings with the Blades, although two draws have come in that period.
Team news: Sheff Utd have a host of injured players at the moment, with John Egan, Chris Basham, Sander Berge, Jayden Bogle, Jack O’Connell, Jack Robinson and Jack Rodwell all absent.
Aston Villa will be without Matty Cash, Kortney Hause and Wesley on Wednesday, while Emi Martinez and Jack Grealish will be assessed before the game.
Granted, Aston Villa’s form has been pretty unpredictable of late. But there is no denying that Smith’s men should beat the woeful Blades.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score at Bramall Lane. However, Aston Villa are expected to edge Sheff Utd by one goal.