Manchester City have another favourable chance to get their Premier League title challenge back up and running when they host Sheffield United today. Pep Guardiola’s side round off the most remarkable year in their history needing to build on their midweek win over Everton. While the champions have proven themselves capable of making up the ground on title challengers in years gone by, there are surely few more margins for error
Reigning English, European and world champions Manchester City will endeavour to end a memorable 2023 on a high when they welcome Sheffield United to the Etihad Stadium for a Premier League clash today.
The two teams meet for the first time since the end of August when an 88th-minute strike from Rodri sealed a 2-1 victory for the Citizens at Bramall Lane.
Five days on from becoming Club World Cup champions for the first time in their history, Manchester City returned to winning ways in the Premier League when they came from behind to beat Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
For the seventh time this season, the Citizens were trailing 1-0 courtesy of a first-half strike from former employee Jack Harrison, but second-half goals from Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva helped Pep Guardiola’s side claim maximum points against the Toffees and climb back into the top four, at the time of writing, as well as move to within five points of leaders Liverpool.
Following a dip in form between the end of November and beginning of December, Man City have since won five and drawn one of their last six games in all competitions, but defensive frailties remain as they have conceded in each of their last eight Premier League matches, an unwanted record run since the arrival of Guardiola back in 2016.
Man City enter today’s contest having drawn each of their last three top-flight matches at the Etihad, throwing away a total of six points from winning positions during this period, but Guardiola and co will be confident of success in front of their own fans against Sheffield United.
Indeed, the Citizens have not lost any of their previous 11 Premier League meetings with the Blades, winning each of their last six in the process, while they have only lost their final league fixture in just one of the last 22 calendar years.
Sheffield United were on course to claim their second successive home win under Chris Wilder in last weekend’s clash with fellow strugglers Luton Town as goals from Oli McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic cancelled out an earlier opener from Alfie Doughty.
However, four days after letting a winning position slip late on in a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, the Blades “chucked away” their advantage once again versus the Hatters, according to Wilder, as two own goals from Jack Robinson and Anis Ben Slimane turned the game on its head in the final 13 minutes to condemn the hosts to a 3-2 defeat – their 14th of the season.
Boasting just nine points from 19 top-flight matches, Sheffield United remain rooted to the foot of the table and now sit seven points adrift of safety at the halfway stage following Nottingham Forest’s win at Newcastle United.
Sheffield United have conceded the most goals (47) in the Premier League so far this season, conceding at least twice on 14 occasions, and they remain at the top of the pile even if you exclude September’s 8-0 hammering by Newcastle; they are also yet to keep a clean sheet away from home this term.
The Blades have struggled to come out on top in previous meetings with Man City, but they have shown their resilient side to some degree in recent years as they have only been beaten by a one-goal margin in five of their last six league encounters against the Citizens, which will provide Wilder with a glimmer of hope that his side can at least deliver a competitive display at the Etihad today.
Meanwhile, Sheffield United Manager, Chris Wilder has dropped a hint that suggests his side will attempt to replicate their approach that earned a point at Aston Villa just before Christmas when they travel to Manchester City this weekend. The Blades were close to pulling off the perfect away performance at Villa Park after frustrating the home side and going ahead, only to concede a 97th-minute equaliser.
United then dropped three more points after capitulating on Boxing Day against their relegation rivals Luton Town, when two own goals saw them surrender a 2-1 lead and lose 3-2. Wilder’s side could have been travelling to City on the back of two wins in a row and five points better off, but instead go over the Pennines still bottom of the table and with their belief and confidence.
Wilder was unapologetic about his side’s approach at Villa, and rightly so, despite accusations of “parking the bus”. United do not have the capability to go toe-to-toe with Villa and certainly do not against City. Speaking after the Luton game, Wilder said: “No, it doesn’t get any easier but we have to dust ourselves down and go again.
“We’ve shown we can produce a type of performance that frustrates. Of course, it’s not ideal but isn’t ideal, the situation that we’re in and who we’re playing against. But I’ve got to say I’ve not really thought about Manchester City, when you’ve just been beaten in a game and we should be talking about us and a positive second half performance and a big three points. And obviously we’re not.”
