Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sheffield United
Date: 21/12/2019
K/O: 15:00
Venue: Amex Stadium
Referee: Robert Jones
The Seagulls have won one game in six and face an inform Sheffield United side who are yet to be beaten away from home.
This week will be a whole different test for each side though as Graham Potter will need to prepare his side in an attacking sense, whilst Wilder will need to make sure his side take their chances in front of goal.
It’s no secret that Sheffield United have been flying high so far this season and have exceeded almost everyone’s expectations. Their key strength has been their rock-solid defensive shape, which has proved to be a real issue for some teams. United have the most joint clean
sheets outside the top two, which puts their defence above the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs – incredible for a newly-promoted side.
Brighton won’t want to be frustrated in front of their home fans so we may see an attacking approach implemented by Graham Potter. Goals haven’t been too much of an issue for the Seagulls though; 17 games has produced 21 goals, with eight different goals scorers – the Seagulls definitely have the firepower needed to penetrate the Blade’s steel strong defence this Saturday.
Their most notable goalscorer at the moment, who is in fine form, is Neal Maupay. The French forward has seven goals this season, three of those coming in his last three games. It’s likely that Brighton will need Maupay to be firing on all cylinders if they are to get the goals, whilst Pascal Groß and Leandro Trossard have also been great this season, and could both provide the impetus needed to break down the Blades.
The only criticism of the Blades in recent games is their lack of cutting edge. Admittedly it’s not a massive issue, as they seem to be doing fine, but improving their conversion rate would boost them even higher in the league. Their only loss in their last six games came against Newcastle. This was a fine example of how important it is to score and convert your chances when on top and dominating a game. The Seagulls have conceded 25 goals, nine more goals than the Blades, which could present Wilder’s side with plenty of opportunities to score.
Team News
Brighton & Hove Albion
Dale Stephens will be welcomed back into the starting XI as he returns from a suspension that ruled him out last week. Aaron Connolly, who picked up a dead leg was training this week and, according to the Brighton manager, “Should be ready for the weekend”. Whether the centre-forward can get back into the starting XI remains to be seen though.
If the Seagulls play a 4-3-3 formation, Maupay is likely to start in the central role up front, while Leandro Trossard and Pascal Groß might be more suited to the wider roles, having started the last two matches there together.
In defence, Montoya will start at right-back having returned on Monday night, while Dan Burn, Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster have already established themselves as the first-choices in their positions this season. Solly March has a hamstring issue and is set to be out until the end of the year, whilst Jose Izquierdo has a knee injury and remains unavailable.
Sheffield United
Again there are no injury concerns for Chris Wilder’s side, the manager mentioned that everybody at the club is, “Fit and healthy,” ahead of this week’s trip to Brighton. That should mean Callum Robinson, who was out with an illness, will be available again. The recent performances of Lys Mousset and David McGoldrick will mean that Robinson won’t start but could feature as a substitute.
John Fleck will not feature this week through suspension after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Aston Villa. Luke Freeman is the most likely to replace him in midfield alongside Oliver Norwood and John Lundstram.
Lundstram, Norwood and George Baldock are all one yellow card away from a one-match suspension, Wilder said that “If there’s a tackle to be made, there’s a tackle to be made.” So it’s unlikely that will change his team selection.
Predicted Starting XIs
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-3-3): Ryan; Alzate, Webster, Dunk, Burn; Propper, Bissouma, Mooy; Groß, Maupay, Trossard
I’m expecting the Blades to continue their fantastic unbeaten record on the road. I think they will catch Brighton unaware and score early, whilst their defence will prove to be difficult to beat.
