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Manchester City-Sheffield United Preview: Time to Rebound

By J.C. Gonzalez

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City reacts after missing a penalty which is then retaken following a VAR review during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on August 10, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 10: Sergio Aguero of Manchester City reacts after missing a penalty which is then retaken following a VAR review during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester City at London Stadium on August 10, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
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With Manchester City’s second fixture in the last three days, this time at the Etihad against Sheffield United, can the Blues bounce back after another tough defeat to Wolves?

With the fixture congestion continuing, Manchester City must find a response as they look to keep pace with second place Leicester City. Newly-promoted Sheffield United, who have had an excellent start to their campaign in the top flight, will seriously test the Citizens in attack with a strong defense and counter-attacking mentality.

However, City absolutely need a result here as they look to distance themselves from the top four race and continue to challenge Leicester for second after missing an opportunity to go above the Foxes against Wolves.

City will need to rotate in this match, and given Sergio Agüero being forced off early for a substitute goalkeeper, he will likely feature. Claudio Bravo will also start as Ederson serves his suspension. With Kevin de Bruyne being subbed off to save his legs for this match, he should also play. This has been a bleak start to the domestic campaign for City, but with the opportunity to win the Champions League still on the horizon, the whole squad will need to contribute and keep momentum against a good side.

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Sheffield have shocked nearly everyone, sitting in 7th place with 29 points from 19 games and barring an absolute collapse, look to have almost secured their spot in next season’s Premier League. They currently have an 11-point gap and a game in hand on fellow promoted side Aston Villa, who sit in 18th.

Under manager Chris Wilder, the Blades are a difficult side to break down and will pose a real threat to City on both the counter and set pieces. Unlike the Wolves match, I expect City to control the possession and tempo of the match, and an early goal will be crucial for the home side to open up the opposition. The Blues are off to their worst start ever under Pep Guardiola, and if they cannot find an answer here, they face real danger of being sucked into the top four race.

Prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Sheffield United