Arsenal welcomes Sheffield United to the Emirates, as both teams chase European football qualifications for next season. Both sides are just separated by four points, with Sheffield occupying sixth position on the table while Arsenal find themselves tenth on the table.
This is perhaps Arsenal’s worst start to the Premier League in recent memory. The Gunners currently occupy 10th spot on 28 points after registering only 6 wins in their 22 matches so far. While the losses (six) haven’t been exactly much, it’s the draws that have the North London team languishing in 10th spot. For comparison, Chelsea has lost 7 from 22 matches, and sit in fourth spot on 39 points.
Mikel Arteta has come in to try and shoot the Gunners up the table, but so far there has been more effort than results. Since taking over, the Gunners have only won two games out of five, and only one in their four Premier League matches. Although it must be said that pundits and fans alike agree that the team has progressed in the overall structure of the team and in the way they play. At the end of the day, it is results that count!
Mikel Arteta’s men come into this match with a lot of first-team players missing; first-choice full-backs Tierney and Bellerin are missing, as is midfielder Torreira. However, the biggest miss for this match will be Aubemayang who is serving the first of his three-match ban for an awful tackle against Crystal Palace. Without Aubameyang’s goals, Arsenal will likely be struggling against relegation. The pressure of scoring is, therefore, on fellow striker Lacazette who hasn’t scored in six EPL matches. Against a very good defensive side, he and Arsenal do have their work cut out for them.
Sheffield currently occupies sixth position on the EPL table and will be itching to keep their place in one of the Europa League qualification spots. While Leicester have definitely caught the eye with their swashbuckling style of play, and deservedly occupy third-place, the Blades have been pragmatic and have favoured a defense-first approach on their return to the EPL.
Chris Wilder’s team have the second joint-best defensive record in the division with 21 goals (same as Leicester) conceded in 22 matches, sitting just behind Liverpool who have conceded only 14 goals. While they’ve been solid defensively, Sheffield United have also struggled for goals. They’ve only scored 24 goals in 22 matches, which just averages above a goal per match.
That said, Arsenal will have to watch out for John Fleck, who has been a pivotal figure in all good things the Blades have done this season. In addition to Fleck, defensive duo Lundstram and Basham have been immense at the back, and will be a difficult hurdle for the Arsenal attackers to overcome.
Arsenal vs Sheffield United Possible Line Up
While Arsenal have welcomed back Hector Bellerin and Dani Ceballos to training, this match may prove too early for them. Torreira also misses this match after coming off at half-time during the match against Crystal Palace. On the other hand, Chris Wilder has a full complement of a team to pick from.
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Arsenal will be desperate for a win to kickstart a much-needed push up the table, but face a strong Sheffield United side who don’t concede at any rate. The suspension of Aubameyang is also expected to bite Arsenal really hard, as other players strive to contribute goals. Considering that four out of the five matches Mikel Arteta has presided over have ended with less than 2.5 goals, coupled with eight out of Sheffield’s last ten matches ending in less than 2.5 goals, we reckon that less than 2.5 goals is good betting value. In view of the way Sheffield have been playing, a shock is also not off the table; but Arsenal’s recent improvement under Arteta means the probability is quite low. A double chance bet in favour of Sheffield should also be taken into account. 1xbet offers you more than solid odds for this option. For information on 1xbet take a look at our 1xbet review. Our dedicated football betting tips page offers more tips on the Arsenal vs Sheffield United match.
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