Sheffield Utd vs Manchester Utd prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2023-10-20 19:00.
Sheffield United will be hoping the international break allowed their players a chance to rethink after their miserable start to the Premier League (PL) season. The Blades’ one point from their first eight matches is the joint-worst start to a season at this stage in the PL era, and the negatives kept coming in a 3-1 defeat at Fulham before the break which saw defender Chris Basham ruled out long-term due to a horrific ankle injury.
Manchester United are the next visitors to Bramall Lane, an opponent the Blades beat 2-1 in their most recent PL H2H in 2020/21. That success came on the road however, and Sheffield United have struggled in this fixture on home soil, last earning a victory over the Red Devils here on the opening weekend of the inaugural PL season in 1992/93! Heckingbottom will be desperate for a repeat, not least because he currently sits as the favourite to be the next PL manager to depart their club.
Opposite number Erik ten Hag sits third on that list after Manchester United’s tumultuous start to the season. The Old Trafford rollercoaster showed no signs of slowing down over the break, as after Scott McTominay’s stoppage-time brace earned them a 2-1 win over Brentford prior to the pause, Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim withdrew his bid to buy the club from the much-maligned Glazer family.
That news was followed by the emergence of stories that Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks set to buy a minority stake in the club, all of which has taken some spotlight away from the Red Devils’ miserable form that leaves them in mid-table ahead of their trip to Yorkshire. Solving United’s travel sickness will be at the forefront of Ten Hag’s mind here, as they’ve failed to win back-to-back PL away matches in 2023, but could break that duck after beating another newly promoted side in Burnley 1-0 in their most recent away assignment.
Players to watch: Sheffield United could turn to Oli McBurnie to solve their goalscoring woes – he netted a 90th minute equaliser in his most recent personal H2H on home soil in 2019 to rescue a 3-3 draw! Marcus Rashford was also on target that day, part of a stunning return of six direct goal contributions in four meetings with the Blades (G3, A3).
Hot streak: Manchester United are unbeaten in 12 PL meetings with newly-promoted sides (W11, D1), winning each of their last nine such matches.