Sheffield United Vs Newcastle United F.C. Lineups
Sheffield United host Newcastle at Bramall Lane seeking their first top-flight win of the season. Paul Heckingbottom will again be without striker Oli McBurnie who is serving a one-match suspension following his red card against Tottenham last weekend.
Benie Traore is likely to partner Cameron Archer up front in his absence. Rhys Norrington-Davies, Rhian Brewster and George Baldock remain sidelined while Max Lowe and John Egan could feature if fit.
Midfield
The match starts with a close first half, neither team dominating the game. However, Newcastle United started to dominate the game after the break, forcing Sheffield United to make mistakes in defense. The result was a goal for the visitors. This victory gives Newcastle United the lead in the league table and puts them two points ahead of Leeds.
Despite losing their opening two league games, Leeds have a solid record against Newcastle. The sides have met six times in the Premier League, with each side winning three of their meetings. However, the Magpies have a strong record on the road against the Yorkshire club, winning their last four away league games at Bramall Lane.
The home side have struggled to break their winless streak, but they will be keen to avoid a third straight defeat when they take on the Magpies at Bramall Lane. Manager Paul Heckingbottom will be without the injured Oli McBurnie and the in-form Jordan Rhodes, meaning a new-look attack may be on the cards.
Kieran Trippier will return to the starting lineup, with Sven Botman and Fabian Schar bolstering the backline. The Magpies have conceded a lot of goals in recent matches, but they should be able to limit the damage against a weaker Sheffield side.
In the middle of the park, Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes should retain their starting positions. The duo have performed well in recent weeks and they will be looking to improve their current league position.
In attacking midfield, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron will be hoping to improve their league performances. Both players have not been very productive so far this season, but they will look to improve their current form when the teams meet at Bramall Lane.
At the other end of the pitch, Nick Pope will be expected to keep his place in the starting XI following his impressive performance in the win over AC Milan. The Magpies goalkeeper is unbeaten in his last three Premier League games, and he will be confident of keeping another clean sheet at Bramall Lane.
Forwards
The Sheffield United forwards will be looking to avoid a third straight defeat this season as they welcome Newcastle to Bramall Lane on Sunday. The Blades have won just one of their opening five Premier League games this season, but they remain unbeaten at home in the competition. They will be missing star striker Oli McBurnie, who was sent off in the final minute of their defeat to Tottenham last weekend.
In the meantime, Cameron Archer and Benie Traore will be expected to lead the line up front for the hosts. The two summer signings have both scored twice in the Championship this season and will provide a good threat to the Magpies defence.
Newcastle’s forward options are a little more limited, but Callum Wilson could return to the starting XI after scoring from the spot against Brentford in the last game before the club departed for Italy for their Champions League debut. The Geordies were impressive in the goalless draw with AC Milan, and Eddie Howe will be hoping his side can continue that positive start to their European adventure when they take on the newly-promoted Blades.
Midfielder Sean Longstaff is likely to keep his place in the starting XI along with Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, who are all set to feature for Newcastle. Howe is also expected to opt for Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon in the wingers’ roles.
The Magpies’ talismanic full-back Kieran Trippier is expected to feature from the right again, although it would be a surprise if he didn’t play alongside both Jonjo Shelvey and Georginio Wijnaldum at centre-back.
Meanwhile, new signings Vnislav Ivanovic and Lewis Hall are yet to make a first-team appearance for the club but both may feature off the bench on Sunday. Goalkeeper Nick Pope has been impressive since taking over from Martin Dubravka, and will be eager to add to his pair of clean sheets this season. The keeper is “highly motivated” after missing out on England’s latest squad, according to his manager. He should be aided by a strong defensive unit that includes defenders Kieran Robinson, Dan Burn and Sven Botman.
Defenders
With both sides preparing to play their first home game of the season in the Premier League, this match will be an exciting one for both sets of fans. The two teams have met twice in the past, with Newcastle winning both games. Both teams have a lot to prove in this game. The team who wins will be in a good position to win the championship this season.
After a slow start to the season, Newcastle United are beginning to find their form. They are currently in eighth place in the table, five points behind the top four. They are coming into this game after a convincing victory over Brentford. They will be looking to keep their good run going against Sheffield United.
The Magpies started the season with three consecutive defeats, but their comeback against the Bees earned them a well-deserved win. In the previous meeting, the Magpies recorded a 1-0 victory over the Blades. It was their first league win in 2021. The teams are set to meet again on Sunday at Bramall Lane.
Both teams have a few injuries to contend with ahead of this match. The Magpies will miss midfielders Joe Willock and Joelinton, while goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is still out with illness. Meanwhile, defender Emil Krafth is still short of full fitness.
Sheffield United are also missing a few key players. Rhys Norrington-Davies, George Baldock, and Max Lowe remain out of contention, while Oliver McBurnie is serving a suspension. However, John Egan could return later this month.
Eddie Howe will likely keep the same starting XI for this game. Kieran Trippier is expected to continue at right-back, while Fabian Schar and Sven Botman will partner up in the centre of defence. Dan Burn and Elliot Anderson will provide cover for the full-backs.
In midfield, Howe will probably stick with the likes of Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes. Summer signings Harvey Barnes and Miguel Almiron will play their preferred roles on the flanks. Hopefully, they will be able to help the Magpies press higher up the pitch this time.
Subs
The Magpies romped to victory against Sheffield United with eight different scorers, marking their biggest away win and the Blades’ biggest defeat in the process. It also saw Callum Wilson move up to fifth in the all-time top flight goalscoring charts.
The visitors will look to improve on a sluggish start to the season as they face an out-of-sorts Sheffield side. But they are without key men in defenders Rhys Norrington-Davies and George Baldock and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
However, John Egan is expected to return and will likely partner Jack Robinson in the back three alongside summer signing Anel Ahmedhodzic. Meanwhile, Newcastle’s other two central defenders, Fraser Forster and Cameron Archer, are both injured.
In midfield, Bruno Guimaraes is likely to keep his place alongside Sean Longstaff. But the former Arsenal man could be joined by Sandro Tonali who has been in impressive form of late.
Up front, winger Harvey Barnes and striker Anthony Gordon will likely feature together. However, there may be a case for the inclusion of newcomer Alexander Isak, who was poor against Milan.
Despite the thrashing, the Magpies remain second in the table. A similar result on Sunday will keep them there.
A flurry of half-chances at the start of the second period preceded an opening goal for the Magpies, which came from a well worked set-piece. Schar walked forward like Matthias Sammer and teased an angled pass to Trippier on the right edge of the area. The full-back skewed his first-time cross over the head of Egan and onto the forehead of Wilson who stooped to nod home from close range.
Despite their heavy defeat, the Blades have an opportunity to rise out of the bottom three with a win. And they might get one with a more disciplined display against the Magpies. However, the Magpies’ superiority in terms of quality will ultimately be the difference between the teams. Hence, we expect the Magpies to win by four or more goals. This will be the second straight season in which they have beaten the Steelers at Bramall Lane.
