Sheffield United welcome West Ham United at Bramall Lane in a Premier League fixture on Sunday.
The Blades are at the foot of the Premier League table, having won only once in their last five games. However, they dismantled Gillingham 4-0 in the third round of the FA Cup earlier this month and will be hoping to build on that result when David Moyes brings his troops to the Steel City.
The Hammers, meanwhile, will be looking to get back on track after being stunned by Bristol City in the FA Cup third round on Wednesday evening. Before that, their three-game winning run in the Premier League had come to a halt following a 0-0 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.
On that note, here are the three key battles to watch out for on Sunday.
#Jarrod Bowen vs Jack Robinson
Jarrod Bowen is pushing to face Sheffield United this weekend after it was initially thought that he would be sidelined for a month with an ankle injury suffered in the closing stages of the game against Bristol City. The England international has been in prolific form for David Moyes’ side this season, scoring 14 goals across all competitions, including 11 in 19 matches in the Premier League.
If Bowen is passed fit to start, it would represent a major boost for West Ham. As Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta are injured while Mohammed Kudus is away at the AFCON, he would be tasked with leading the West Ham attack. Given Bowen’s fine form, the Blades have to defend extremely well.
Jack Robinson has been the leader in the Blades’ defence under Chris Wilder, so he must assume the responsibility of stopping Bowen from making inroads at the weekend.
#James McAtee vs Emerson Palmieri
At the other end of the pitch, the potential battle between James McAtee and Emerson Palmieri will be an interesting watch.
Emerson is an attacking left-back and likes to venture forward when given chances, leaving some space down West Ham’s left flank when the ball is turned over. The twinkle-toed McAtee, on loan from Manchester City, could exploit those spaces by peeling into wide areas vacated by Emerson.
McAtee is also coming into this game fresh from scoring a brace in United’s 4-0 win over Gillingham in the FA Cup. The 21-year-old’s dribbling ability, burst of acceleration and movement should be enough to hurt the West Ham left-back, especially if Said Benrahma is caught up the pitch.
#James Ward-Prowse vs Vinicius Souza
James Ward-Prowse has been among West Ham’s best players since arriving from Southampton in the summer. The Englishman has bagged three goals and six assists in 19 league appearances, and with the cushion of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek behind, he has thrived in a more advanced midfield role.
The 29-year-old’s creativity and set-piece prowess bolster the Irons’ attacking strength and could be key in disrupting Sheffield United’s build-up play.
Vinicius Souza—likely to be the deepest midfielder for the Blades—will look to stop that from happening. The Brazilian must keep a close watch on Ward-Prowse and stop him from influencing the visitors’ attacks.
If Souza can limit Ward-Prowse’s impact on the proceedings and stop him from combining with the West Ham forwards, the home side’s chances of getting a positive result will increase manifold.
