Sheffield United will be looking to take another step towards automatic promotion when they welcome West Bromwich Albion to Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening.
The Blades find themselves second in the Championship table – four points clear of third-placed Luton Town – with two games in hand over their promotion rivals.
West Brom, on the other hand, occupy ninth place in the standings. With three matches remaining, the Baggies sit just two points shy of the top six and will be hoping to enhance their play-off chances in South Yorkshire.
Sheffield United head into Wednesday’s clash on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals. Although Paul Heckingbottom’s men gave a good account of themselves at Wembley on Saturday, the Premier League giants dominated the contest, with Riyad Mahrez netting a hat-trick.
In the Championship, however, it’s the Blades who have dominated their opponents throughout the campaign. Not only have they won five of their last six league matches, but they have also won 15 of their previous 22, suffering just five defeats along the way.
Better still, Sheff Utd have won 10 of their last 13 Championship clashes at Bramall Lane, highlighting their strength on home soil. It is also worth noting that Heckingbottom’s men have kept a clean sheet in four of their previous five home victories.
West Bromwich Albion, meanwhile, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland last time out. As a result, Carlos Corberan’s men trail sixth-placed Sunderland by two points, although they have a game in hand over many of their play-off rivals.
The Baggies enjoyed a marked upturn after Corberan replaced Steve Bruce back in October, chalking up a run of nine victories in 10 league outings, but they have struggled for consistency in recent months, recording six wins, four draws and six losses across their previous 16 Championship matches.
Midfielder John Swift has been West Brom’s biggest attacking threat this season, racking up seven goals and nine assists, while Jed Wallace has contributed five goals and eight assists. However, striker Daryl Dike will miss the remainder of the campaign through injury.
On the flip side, Sheff Utd’s injury list contains Jack O’Connell, Rhian Brewster and Enda Stevens. Iliman Ndiaye has bagged 14 goals and 9 assists in all competitions this term, while Oli McBurnie has netted 13 goals.
Across the past eight meetings between Sheffield United and West Brom, both sides have picked up four wins. Remarkably, the victors have alternated since 2018, meaning neither team has secured back-to-back wins in this fixture over the last five years.
Fans in the UK can watch Wednesday’s clash on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Go Extra.
Expert Insight: Naturally, Sheffield United will be deflated after losing at Wembley on Saturday, but Heckingbottom’s men should have enough in the tank to bounce straight back. With a place in the Premier League up for grabs, the Blades are expected to rise to the occasion against off-from West Brom, who have managed to win just two of their last seven games.
Championship