Premier League Stats
We have not lost against them in the Premier League era ... have played them nine times, won six of them, drew the other three, and lost none.
Will update these next two tables below (showing the Form Guide and Season So Far) tomorrow night after they have played their mid-week game as well which is against Manchester United away. Our stats in these do include tonight's game against West Brom though.
Pre-Match Thoughts
The bookies might as well pay out on Sheffield United being relegated this season given all they've got out of their first half of the season (19 games) is a single win and two draws and that translates into a total of measly five points ... which is the worst total of any team at their half way mark in the Premier League ... 16 games lost and a goal difference of -22 with them managing to score a total of 10 goals only in 19 games. Doesn't get any poorer than that. I remember writing about Birmingham City a few weeks ago in our FA cup game's pre-match thread and was thinking wow they're poor in their league ... but my god, this even makes them look pretty decent.
Our position as of now is in complete contrast to theirs - we're siting at the top of the table while they're right at the bottom. We're on this incredible win run in all competitions that goes all the way back to around mid-December.
But our position and form is also in contrast to our own self as well ... if you just go back to the last time we played Sheffield United. It was at the end of October (sandwiched between two Champions League ties) and we were really struggling to get going in the league. We won that game 1-0 but that highlights another thing here ... even though we've not lost against them in the Premier League era (as the stats suggested above), all the games against them have been rather tight. Six wins out of nine (and other three draws) is ok but if you actually look through each of the last five games (table above in the stats section), they're all mostly 1-0s or there about.
This made me check something else as well ... and it's not just against us that they have been tight, but 11 out of their 16 losses this season are only by a single goal margin. Unlike our opponents tonight (West Brom, who have the similar reputation but stats suggest otherwise - WBA have actually shipped in three goals in each of their last five home games - including tonight). So while this might be a top vs bottom clash, best goal difference in the league vs the worst, most goals scored (ok, not there yet, but just a goal shy now after tonight) vs the least scoring team, most in-form team vs the worst and so on ... I still think it'll be a cagey/tight affair as they just don't lose big.
In the season where the smallest of advantages are making a difference ... I'd take our form over theirs, I'd also take the fact that we're at home and they'd be away ... I'd also take that we have played our mid-week game tonight and they don't play theirs till tomorrow ... so that one extra day to rest and recover would be welcomed as well.
This is also the second last game of that relatively easy run of games (on paper) that we've just had. Past this one when we get to the last of those easy fixtures (Burnley away), we'd inevitably start talking about the game after and not just the one in front (yes, yes, it's the trip to Anfield after that one) ... not only us but I'm sure even Pep and the boys would have half an eye on what's coming next from the next fixture on after this one (even though Pep never accepts that and never will).
The Title Race
We are half way through our season and it's all about counting down now ... 19 games to go ... and over those next 19 we keep an eye on our rivals as well ... as it stands we're seven points clear of Liverpool ... why is that better than six (or five) ... because seven means we need to screw up in three games now (vs two if it was six points) for them to catch up on us while matching our results for the other (16) games ...
No, I'm not going to mention United or Leicester here as title contenders ... because I don't consider them title rivals (at least not just yet). And not sure why anyone would be worried about them two (especially United) ... we all know why the media is big-ing them up, so let them ... what everyone seems to be forgetting is that they both are in Europa League and have two extra ties coming up in February and March as opposed to other title rivals who are in the Champions League ... wait till Thursday nights kick in and they get the Thu-Sun schedules in, then we'll see how they navigate those.
Thing about being in Europa League isn't the extra couple of games ... or playing on Thursday nights that puts a team off is not the no. of days gap in between games ... as that is exactly the same as Wed-Sat ... it is the fact that they then inevitably end up playing last in every gameweek, either on Sunday or even Monday nights because they have played on Thursday ... this just makes them always be in a chasing position against their other title rivals as they never get to play first and put any sort of pressure by putting points on board first ... this is why I’m not worried about them at all as far the title race is concerned at this stage. If they manage to keep up for another nine or ten gameweeks (which I doubt they will) then we might take them seriously in the final stretch.
Match Prediction
Back to the game coming up next ... In the grand scheme of things, this is just another game to tick off, win it, add another W in the list and move on ... a single goal will be enough on Saturday ... predicting a rather boring and cagey 1-0 with not too much happening at either end given how stingy Sheffield United are, hey ho it's another three points and on we go ...
Manchester City 1 - 0 Sheffield United
CTWD!
Last edited: