Sheffield Utd vs Manchester City prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-08-26 13:00.
After scoring for Sheffield United against Nottingham Forest (L 2-1), new signing Gustavo Hamer admitted it would be better “not to score on your debut and [instead] win the game” as they remain pointless (L2) on their return to the Premier League (PL). They conceded in the opening and closing five minutes of regulation time, although manager Paul Heckingbottom claimed his side were “very good from 20 minutes in.”
But the Blades simply cannot afford to give a 20-minute head start to reigning champions Manchester City, against whom they haven’t won a league H2H since 2000 (D2, L6), losing the last five PL meetings ‘to nil’. Winning their final five home games en route to promotion from the Championship last term is encouraging, but they’ve already been reminded of the challenges the PL poses when Crystal Palace beat them 1-0 at Bramall Lane on opening day.
After winning the UEFA Super Cup on penalties against Sevilla in Athens, Man City returned to England to beat potential title rivals Newcastle 1-0, meaning they’re yet to concede in PL action this term (W2). With Kevin De Bruyne out injured, they’ve added another Belgian to the ranks, with Jérémy Doku arriving from Rennes for £55m – a man who counts Kylian Mbappé and Thierry Henry among his admirers.
But the speedy forward will have to wait to work with manager Pep Guardiola as the Spaniard has undergone back surgery and will miss the next two games, with assistant Juanma Lillo taking charge. He’ll be aiming to get the Cityzens firing on the road after a run of mixed form away from home (W1, D1, L1) knowing they’ve won the last three PL H2Hs here by the same 1-0 scoreline.
Players to watch: Hamer’s goal threat is why Heckingbottom brought him to Sheffield United as he’s netted between half-time and the 70th minute in three of his last five outings. Before that, Erling Haaland could pounce if the hosts start slowly again as he’s netted three times before the 40th minute across Man City’s last five PL away fixtures.
Hot stat: Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in nine of their ten PL games against Sheffield United.