Sheffield United vs Man City Premier League Pick, Prediction, Odds
Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty. Pictured: Jack Grealish.
Sheffield United vs Man City Odds
| Sheffield United Odds | +1200 |
| Man City Odds | -600 |
| Draw | +700 |
| Over / Under | 2.5 -188 / +150 |
Sheffield United will lock horns with Premier League giant Man City on Sunday at Bramall Lane.
The Blades are still in search of their first win in the top flight after falling 2-1 to Nottingham Forest on match day 2. Meanwhile, to few surprises, the Cityzens have remained perfect through their two league matches after a nitty-gritty 1-0 win against Newcastle United last weekend.
Will we see a massive upset in this David and Goliath matchup, or will Man City continue their perfect start to the campaign in the hunt for their fourth consecutive Championship?
Here is my breakdown of the Sheffield United vs Man City odds, and my pick for the Premier League match on Sunday.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United have quickly learned that the Premier League is no joke. They found themselves overwhelmed against Crystal Palace, losing 1-0 in a game that felt like a much worse scoreline, as they allowed 24 shots and conceded over 68% of the possession.
In last weekend's loss to Nottingham Forest, their ball possession improved, with the game being a 50/50 split for who has control, but their ability to limit opposing teams' chances stayed the same. They allowed Forrest to shoot 16 times, and over half of those came within their own 18-yard box.
However, if there was one improvement from one game to the next, it was their ability to capitalize in the attack. Their new signing, Gustavo Hamer, who played in the Championship last season with Coventry City, scored a remarkable goal from just outside the box to give the Blades their second goal in their previous six matches, including their summer friendlies.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom will certainly have his hands full against a star-studded Man City squad, but perhaps playing in front of their home fans could give them a needed boost to steal a point for the reigning champions.
Sheffield United averaged 2.22 points at home last season and went unbeaten in 19 of the 23 matches in front of their home fans.
Man City
City proved they are once again the team to beat this season after controlling a 1-0 win over a competitive Newcastle United. However, due to a variety of reasons such as injuries, transfers and just overall player form, this is quite a different team than the treble-winning squad we saw last year.
Rather than the three-defensemen backline we saw City line up in consistently last year, they are now positioning with four in the back, leaving them one less attacker than we saw last year. And with Kevin De Bryune's injury and Ikay Gindegon's transfer to Barcelona over the summer, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez are set to play the more attacking midfield roles.
The move to a back four has resulted in the expected results of them eliminating the opposing team's chance on goal with just 0.6 xG against, the lowest in the league. However, there is certainly a sense that City may have lost some of their killer instinct and are currently content with passing out the clock once they find a lead rather than piling on the goals. Haaland has failed to score in three of City's four all-competition matches this month.
On top of the lineup differences and lack of creation up top, manager Pep Guardiola will be absent from the sidelines on Sunday due to receiving emergency back surgery earlier in the week. This shouldn't affect the machinery tactics he has installed in his players, but if things start to go sideways at any point in the match, his in-game tactics may be missed.
Sheffield United vs Man City
Pick & Prediction
With or without Guardiola on the sideline this Sunday, Man City are the better team in every position of the pitch. Their defense, which has held teams scoreless in their first two league games, should have no issues against a Sheffield United team that struggles to create chances.
And even if Haaland and the rest of the team have yet to show their killer instinct, if the Blades continue to give up their average of 13 shots inside the box, things could get out of control quite fast.
Look for the Cityzens to make their coach proud and earn a convincing road win. Back them on the spread.
I am also going to put a play on Jack Grealish to record at least one shot on target if he gets the start. He has tallied three shots in two consecutive matches, and with Sheffield's inability to stop an attack, I expect him to work his way to a quality chance off the dribble.
Picks: Man City -1.75 (-136 via BetRivers) | Jack Grealish Over 0.5 shots on target (-125 PointsBet)
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