Burnley vs Sheffield United tips and prediction: Fine margins to determine Turf Moor basement battle
Vincent Kompany
One of the biggest fixtures of the weekend takes place at Turf Moor as Burnley host Sheffield United in a huge Premier League basement battle.
If the first 13 games of the season are in any way an indicator, both the Clarets and Blades will be battling for survival come May.
Burnley made the Championship look like amateur hour last season, though their transition to the elite couldn’t have gone any worse.
Despite being managed by a Premier League-winning defender in Vincent Kompany, the Clarets just can’t stop leaking goals having already conceded 32.
The only side to have shipped more are Sheffield United who have seen their net ripple on 34 occasions – eight times alone against Newcastle.
If you thought defending was a problem, wait till we tell you about their goalscoring numbers.
Burnley are the competitions worst attacking side with just 10 goals to their name. The Blades are only one better off.
Clearly, we’re not expecting a free flowing five-star display on Saturday. However, with potential relegation implications on the line, expect both teams to pour their hearts out in what should be a nail-biter.
Picking a winner in such a close contest is no easy feat. On one hand, Sheffield United are in decent form having picked up four of their five points this season during their last three outings.
Then again, their last match was a 3-1 defeat at home against another potential relegation contender, Bournemouth.
Burnley, meanwhile, are unbeaten against the Blades at home in seven attempts – winning six of them.
Considering both teams are rubbish in attack and equally useless in defence, our recommendation is to stay clear of the goals market.
Instead, over 42.5 booking points looks far more enticing for a basement battle of this magnitude. One goal winning margin is also a good way to tackle this fixture.
Team news
Burnley will be without Jack Cork who is still recovering from injury. Lyle Foster and Arijanet Muric both have illnesses while Ameen Al Dakhil picked up a knock and is a doubt.
Sheffield, meanwhile, won’t be able to count on Chris Basham, Rhian Brewster, Tom Davies, John Egan, Daniel Jebbison and Rhys Norrington-Davies.
Key stats
- Burnley have won four of their last five home league games against Sheffield United
- Sheffield United have never lost a Premier League game against a team starting the day at the bottom of the table
- Burnley have lost all seven of their Premier League games this season
