(Football news) It’s the first time the two teams have faced off since the Blades, led by current manager Chris Wilder, narrowly prevailed 1-0 at Bramall Lane in March 2021.
Even the most dedicated fans of Aston Villa would not have predicted that their team would be sitting second in the Premier League standings and could potentially finish first at the end of the season, but Unai Emery’s team is still improving and has shown early signs of being a threat to win the title.
The last six top-flight games have seen the Lions win five and draw one. They have won the last three by a margin of just one goal, including last weekend’s hard-fought 2-1 victory at Brentford, where Moreno and former Bees forward Ollie Watkins scored in the final 13 minutes to take advantage of Ben Mee’s earlier dismissal and steal three crucial points.
The only teams in Premier League history with a longer winning home run are Liverpool (24 between 2019 and 2020), Manchester City (20 between 2011 and 2012), and Manchester United (19 between 2010 and 2011). Aston Villa will be happy to be back home, where they have won a club record 15 straight Premier League games, scoring 39 goals, and keeping eight clean sheets in the process.
The Lions will be confident in their ability to defeat Sheffield United on Friday, as they have won their last five meetings with promoted sides. Emery and company have registered impressive 1-0 victories over reigning champions Man City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal in the last two games played at Villa Park.
Even though Villa has defeated Sheffield United in three of their previous four home league matches, they still have to be wary of Wilder’s revitalized Blades team on Friday. Villa is also unbeaten in their previous 14 meetings altogether.
