It’s been over three months since a Premier League ball was kicked in anger, but at 6pm on Wednesday the top flight finally returns to action as Aston Villa desperately try to escape the relegation zone against one of the biggest surprises of the season.
Sheffield United came into the 2019/20 season, like Villa, as a newly promoted side. Unlike Aston Villa, however, they were firm favourites to face the drop and, also unlike their opponents, they have completely defied expectations to put themselves in shock competition for European qualification.
While the enforced break in play was a hammer blow to football fans around the world, it actually came at the right time for Dean Smith’s side. Aston Villa were looking back on a four match losing streak in the Premier League and had just been hammered 4-0 at Leicester. They have had 12 weeks to try and rebuild some confidence, and a win on Wednesday would lift them out of the relegation zone.
Sheffield United had no need to build confidence. The Blades’ 1-0 win over Norwich at the start of March left them in 7th position as lockdown began, and a victory on Wednesday would take them into 5th. They have already surpassed the imaginary 40-point relegation marker and they can now set their sights on achieving European qualification, and there’s even a realistic potential for Champions League football.
This is an astonishing rise to the top from a club who were playing League One football just a few years ago. Chris Wilder’s tactical revolution and smart recruitment is currently reaping rewards, and all without blowing the Bramall Lane bank.
Most newly promoted clubs that enjoy successful first seasons in the Premier League do so on the back of a raucous home support, but The Blades’ good form isn’t just limited to Bramall Lane. Incredibly, they have lost just two of their 13 away league games, and those came against Liverpool and Manchester City.
That being said, seven of these 13 road trips have ended in stalemates, so there is cause for optimism for The Villains. Although that optimism quickly erodes when you cast your mind back and remember that Aston Villa have lost five of their last eight league games at Villa Park.
Dean Smith’s men have also lost four of their five home games against teams in the top half of the table, with their only point coming against 10th placed Burnley in September. Sheffield United, on the other hand, have won four of their seven trips away to bottom half sides.
What we can expect from the return of the Premier League is goals at both ends of the pitch. Sheffield United have only kept four clean sheets in 13 trips away, and they’re facing a Villa side that have scored in all but one of their home games this season. However, with the hosts managing just one clean sheet in the last six at home and shipping 17 goals in the process, we’re predicting both teams to find the net.
The contrasting records of Aston Villa at home to top half sides and Sheffield United away to bottom half sides points towards another impressive Blades win on Wednesday. Villa have conceded 1.85 goals per home game on average this season and have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six meetings with Sheffield United, so a 2-1 win for the visitors is what we’re backing for our correct score prediction.
BET: BTTS @10/11