After enduring a heart-stopping scare in their unforgettable FA Cup semi-final clash with Coventry City, Manchester United will be hoping for a more relaxed encounter when they take on Sheffield United in Wednesday’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils may be preparing for an FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City, despite a near-collapse, while their opponents’ hopes of surviving in the top flight are dwindling.
Most of Man United’s players seemed embarrassed to celebrate reaching their second consecutive FA Cup final. Coventry channeled their 2005 Liverpool spirit and nearly pulled off one of the most astounding turnarounds in the competition’s illustrious history.
Leading 3-0 heading into the final 20 minutes, Erik ten Hag’s men almost gifted the Championship side an equalizer, leading to extra time and a last-gasp winning goal for Victor Torp. The Red Devils faithful were left in disbelief.
However, Coventry’s elation was short-lived, as a tight offside call overturned the goal. Ten Hag’s team managed to hold their nerve from the penalty spot, setting up a repeat of last year’s final with Manchester City. Nonetheless, Man United were met with criticism as if they had lost the semi-final.
Without a 90-minute victory in six matches, Ten Hag’s weary troops have several Premier League wrongs to correct on Wednesday. They’ve gone winless in their last four matches, effectively ending their Champions League hopes, and now sit seventh in the standings, 16 points off the top four with only 18 points remaining.
A far cry from the defensive solidity of Ten Hag’s debut campaign, Man United head into the midweek encounter having conceded an alarming 11 goals in their last four matches. Their opponents, however, are hardly defensive giants themselves.
Sheffield United secured an unwanted Premier League record during the weekend’s relegation battle with Burnley at Bramall Lane. Victory was crucial for Chris Wilder’s side to spark a miraculous escape from the drop zone.
Despite accumulating only four more points than Sheffield United throughout the campaign, Burnley ruthlessly struck the Blades for four goals in Sheffield, with Lorenz Assignon, Lyle Foster, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and Jacob Bruun Larsen contributing to the rout. Wilder’s men became the first Premier League team to concede 50 goals at home in a single season.
Gustavo Hamer’s impressive finish briefly ignited hope for Sheffield United, but the Clarets swiftly extinguished it, leaving the hosts on the brink of a swift return to second-tier football. The Blades currently sit 10 points adrift of safety with just five games remaining.
A trip to Newcastle United and a home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur are still on the horizon for Wilder’s men, but they could be relegated by the time they host Spurs on the final gameweek. The basement dwellers have now gone nine matches without a win.
If there’s one glimmer of hope for Sheffield United fans, it’s their impressive 2-1 victory at the Theatre of Dreams in January 2021. While the Red Devils prevailed by the same scoreline at Bramall Lane earlier this season, it was far from convincing.
Already struggling with injuries to Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, and Anthony Martial, Man United’s injury crisis worsened before and during the FA Cup semi-final. Willy Kambwala, Mason Mount, and Sofyan Amrabat were omitted from the matchday squad, while Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford limped back to the team coach after late withdrawals and are major doubts for the upcoming clash. Harry Maguire also appeared to be struggling towards the end of the 120 minutes.
Should Maguire’s issue prove serious enough to keep him out of Wednesday’s game, Ten Hag could find himself without a single senior center-back for the visit of Sheffield United and may need to turn to the academy ranks. 18-year-old Louis Jackson was on the bench for the semi-final.
Sheffield United’s medical team is also facing challenges, with Wilder forced to substitute goalscorer Hamer in the 78th minute of the Burnley defeat. However, the former Coventry player is not believed to be suffering from a significant injury.
Tom Davies, George Baldock, Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, Rhys Norrington-Davies, and Max Lowe remain sidelined with various issues, although Davies and Jebbison are back in training. Rhian Brewster and Jack Robinson are nearing returns, but Wilder is expected to field a similar lineup to the one that played on the weekend and may consider making a few changes, potentially bringing Cameron Archer back into the forward line.
With their penalty shootout victory at Wembley and their vulnerability against almost every opponent, Man United shouldn’t be expected to demolish their struggling opponents in this clash, even if it appears to be a mismatch on paper.
As two teams prone to conceding, this match should feature goals at both ends, even with the potential for fatigue to play a factor. While it may not be a beautiful spectacle, a depleted Man United should emerge victorious thanks to their superior attacking options.
