Sheffield Utd vs Crystal Palace prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-08-11 14:00.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom admits Sheffield United need to seriously strengthen their squad if they are to compete in the Premier League (PL) this season. The Blades are back in the top flight after a two-year absence, but the boss is far from satisfied with their work in the transfer market this summer, conceding his side are “still way short" of the quality required.
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United have not been helped by the sale of star forward Iliman Ndiaye, while they’ve also lost midfielder Sander Berge to fellow promoted outfit Burnley. With a limited number of arrivals in the door amid continued uncertainty surrounding the club’s ownership, Heckingbottom will be hoping he can banish their off-field demons and guide the Blades to a win in their opening game of the season for the first time since August 2017 (D1, L4).
They will have their work cut out against Crystal Palace though, who rounded off their pre-season with an impressive 2-0 win over Lyon last week. Midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp declared after that game that the Eagles are “confident and ready to go” as they look to improve on their 11th placed finish from the 2022/23 campaign – they’ve managed just one top-half finish since promotion to the top flight back in 2013!
Roy Hodgson’s side are arguably a weaker team than they were last season though, given that the talismanic Wilfried Zaha has departed for Galatasaray. Arrivals Jefferson Lerma and Matheus França could slot into the midfield for their trip to Sheffield as Palace look to improve on their poor recent H2H with the Blades, having lost on three of their last four trips to Bramall Lane (W1).
Players to watch: Blades new-boy BĂ©nie TraorĂ© arrives having lost just two of the 18 matches in which he scored (W15, D1) for previous club BK Häcken. Looking to upstage him will be Palace’s Eberechi Eze who netted in both H2Hs the last time Sheffield United were in the PL – a brace of 2-0 wins for the Eagles.
Hot stat: Crystal Palace have only won one of their last seven PL away games played in the month of August (D2, L4).