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Sheffield United-Manchester City Preview: Three points expected

By J.C. Gonzalez

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - OCTOBER 27: Ferran Torres of Manchester City FC gives his thumb up during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Olympique de Marseille and Manchester City at Stade Velodrome on October 27, 2020 in Marseille, France. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
MARSEILLE, FRANCE - OCTOBER 27: Ferran Torres of Manchester City FC gives his thumb up during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Olympique de Marseille and Manchester City at Stade Velodrome on October 27, 2020 in Marseille, France. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City head to Bramall Lane looking to build upon their excellent midweek showing.

After a dominant response against Marseille in the Champions League, Manchester City must prove their status as true Premier League title contenders. It has been a rocky start to the season domestically, with a 1-1 draw against West Ham compounding City’s early-season struggles. While the team will continue to be without a true striker, the injury situation has improved, and the expectation will all be on City to walk away with the three points.

After an incredible season a year ago, Chris Wilder’s Sheffield have struggled heavily in their sophomore campaign, currently sitting 19th with just one point from their first six matches. They look to be prime candidates for relegation this year, and City must capitalize against weaker opposition. With Raheem Sterling returning to the right-hand flank (a move I’ve hoped to see for some time), he looked liberated, while Ferran Torres looks to be the solution down the middle in the absence of Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Agüero. The Spaniard has a knack for goal scoring and is in excellent form in his debut season with the club.

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All of the pressure will be on Manchester City to deliver the result. Sheffield are a team that like to sit deep and get points through defensive organization. While that hasn’t happened so far this year, last season shows what they are capable of, and City have had major issues breaking down teams that sit in a low block. This will be a real test if City are truly the team we saw in midweek, or if it was nothing more than a fluke. With a key fixture against Liverpool on the horizon, the time is now for City to hit their stride.

Predicted XI: Ederson (GK), Kyle Walker (RB), Rúben Dias (CB), Aymeric Laporte (CB), João Cancelo (LB), Rodri (CDM), İlkay Gündoğan (CDM), Kevin De Bruyne (CAM), Raheem Sterling (RW), Ferran Torres (ST), Phil Foden (LW)