Sheffield United vs Sunderland – Preview | OneFootball

A mouth-watering top of the table clash awaits Bramall Lane on Friday evening as second-placed Sheffield United host Sunderland who sit fourth.

The Blades comfortably dealt with Oxford United on Tuesday night, winning 3-0, but it could’ve been more if not for some top saves from the Oxford goalkeeper. That win means they have now won seven home games in a row, all without conceding a single goal.

Sunderland have become somewhat draw specialists over recent weeks, drawing five straight games, including their recent 0-0 against West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.

Transfer Business

The Northeast outfit have impressed with their transfer business over the last few years, and this summer was no different. With several young players in the squad, they decided to balance that out a bit by signing veteran Championship players such as Alan Browne and Chris Mepham.

Browne was a player that I hoped the Blades would sign on a free transfer instead of Jamie Shackleton. At 29 years of age, the Irish international has experienced the highs and lows of the Championship for what seems like forever, having been a cornerstone player for Preston North End. Browne has the ability to play any role in midfield to a very good standard, and he is a leader, which is perhaps something Sunderland were missing last season as they fell down the table in the final half of the campaign.

Mepham is the other great pick-up on a loan deal. He is a dependable rock at the back, and also has the ball-playing ability to make a team progressive and measured in their approach play. In his 12 starts since signing on loan from Bournemouth, he has helped Sunderland keep six clean sheets.

Team News

United will be without Anel Ahmedhodzic once again as he sits out his second game of his three-match ban. Kieffer Moore and Rhian Brewster have still not yet been made available for the matchday squad since suffering their injuries. One huge positive on Tuesday, besides the win, was the return of Tom Davies. The midfielder came on for the final few minutes which marked his first appearance since March.

The visitors are suffering on the injury front at the moment with half a dozen players doubtful. Romaine Mundle, Alan Browne, Ian Poveda, Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin and Jenson Seelt, could all miss out on Friday.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 26: Tyrese Campbell of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Stoke City FC at Bramall Lane on October 26, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

Sheffield United’s Star Player For This Game

It’s hard to look elsewhere other than Tyrese Campbell because his form has been excellent. The former Stoke City striker has scored five goals and claimed an assist in his last six matches, a run which started against his old side in October.

Campbell is averaging a goal every 93 minutes, but it’s his overall game which is impressive. He is a forward that can drop deep and link play with his technical ability, he can hold the ball up, and he can run in behind or down the outside of the defence. And as seen in the last month, he can score any type of goal because of his composure.

Even if the 24-year-old eases off his current form, as long as he stays healthy this season, I will be very bullish on him if the Blades are playing in the top-tier next term, because he may arguably be more effective in the league above due to his blistering speed and technique.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 26: Patrick Roberts of Sunderland in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland AFC and West Bromwich Albion FC at Stadium of Light on November 26, 2024 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Sunderland’s Star Player For This Game

Patrick Roberts has always been a player that I’ve enjoyed watching because of his quick way of playing. More often than not, he’s standing his man up and looking to shift the ball side to side to get by his opposite number. Or, he can carve open a defence with his vision.

Roberts has a goal and three assists to his name already, and I wouldn’t bet against him increasing that tally against the Blades.

The 27-year-old ranks in the 87th percentile for progressive carries and 81st percentile for progressive passes, so he is one of the best dual-threat progressive players in the Championship. One other aspect of his game which may go unnoticed is his pressing ability, which is a key part of Sunderland’s tactics.

My View

With the way I picture this game going, I think it will be played at a super high pace to start with, even despite the quick turnaround for both teams. And if it is a back-and-forth type of game, the transition game will be key to determining the outcome of this game.

The Blades rank 9th in fast-break shots per game, while Sunderland rank 8th. The two teams are joint-third for fast-break goals per game. So in the attacking aspect they are dead even.

On the other side of the ball, United have given up the least fast-break shots per game, and Sunderland have given up the second-least.

Indeed, if the two sides match each other stride for stride and limit each other’s chances then Sunderland might fancy themselves given they boast the best conversion rate in the league – 14.1%. However, the home side have the second-best conversion rate defensively – their opponents score just 5.4% of their shots, per Opta.

My Prediction

With the numbers stating that both sides match up well against each other, I’m expecting a tight game, especially when you consider Sunderland have kept three clean sheets in their last five games, but also fired blanks in those games too.

Sheffield United have won seven home games in a row all whilst not conceding a single goal, and I think a 1-0 win for the Blades is a strong possibility for this one.