Aston Villa will head back to Yorkshire for the second time in five days but this time they will take on bottom of the league, Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
There is no real love lost between the two clubs, or so you would think going by the communication between both sets of fans on social media. Sheffield United fans still remain Villa would have gone down had their goal counted following that goal-line technology incident at Villa Park last season. They fail to recognise that the game was far from over and Villa had plenty of other games to play.
Anyway, enough of that. Sheffield United boss seems to have respect for the club and of course Jack Grealish. In his press conference, he hailed Grealish as the best player in the Premier League at the moment. On top of that, he spoke about the sheer size of our club and the respect he has for our fans.
I’ll be honest, apart from those who constantly go on about that incident last season, I have respect for Sheffield United and what Wilder has achieved at the club. To go from League 1 to the Premier League in such a short space of time deserves a lot of credit in my view.
United’s form home and away in the Premier League, shows that there is no real surprise why they are bottom of the league. Seven of their eleven points this campaign have come at Bramall Lane. Don’t allow their form to fool you though. No-one plays Sheffield United and doesn’t know they have been in a hard game once the full-time whistle goes.
Villa will have to be at the top of their game if they are to bring back all three points from Yorkshire, just as they did on Saturday evening.
TEAM NEWS
There is some good news on the injury front for Aston Villa but this game may come too early for all the casualties.
Matt Cash is back on the training field running but the medical staff are yet to allow him getting involved in any ball work.
Kortney Hause is back out doing light work while Wesley is back in full contact training.
There is still no real update with Grealish. In fact, no-one seems to know what is actually wrong with him outside of the club.
Sheffield United are down to the bare bones. They have seven players currently out injured and none of them are expected to return for the game against Villa.
Wilder will be without Jayden Bogle (shin), Chris Basham (hamstring), Jack Robinson (foot), John Egan, Jack Rodwell (toe), Jack O’Connell (knee) and Sander Berge (hamstring).
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Robert Jones.
Assistants: Darren Cann, Derek Eaton. Fourth official: Tony Harrington. VAR: Graham Scott. Assistant VAR: Lee Betts.
DID YOU KNOW
If Villa beat Sheffield United it will be their first double over the Blades since the 1993/94 Premier League campaign and United have beaten Villa on their last two visits to Bramall Lane.
If Dean Smith’s men keep a clean sheet it will be the first time they have achieved nine clean sheets in top-flight football in their history.
Sheffield United have lost ten home games so far this season. They have only lost more (11) once in their history and that came in the 2010/11 Championship campaign.
HOW TO FOLLOW
I CANNOT WATCH LIVE
Join fellow Villa supporters by discussing tonight’s game on our forum in our live match chat.
ON TV
Sheffield United v Aston Villa will be shown live in the UK on BT Sport.
PREDICTION
On paper, Villa should be beating Sheffield United but I am not foolish to think it will be that easy. They will be a different proposition to Leeds at the weekend and Villa will have to come out and create something.
We will need to be defensively solid and not get drawn into any games. Play our own game otherwise Sheffield United have the capability of pulling you into a fight and before you know it the game is over and you have lost.
Sheffield United 0-1 Aston Villa
