English Premier League Soccer - Burnley vs. Sheffield United, 7/5/20 - Preview, Prediction & Odds
A two-game winning run takes 10th-placed Burnley to a domestic contest against 7th-placed Sheffield United, who have just beaten Tottenham Hotspur. Kick-off - at 7:00 AM ET on Sunday, July 5.
Burnley Win Two In Row
The chances of earning a spot in a European soccer competition next season improved for Burnley, who recorded their second consecutive victory after beating Crystal Palace with a count of 1-0 away at Selhurst Park on Monday. Despite controlling just 42% of the ball possession and being outshot 17-8, the Clarets still managed to secure their first Premier League win on their last 11 trips to London (W1 D1 L9), with Ben Mee’s header proving the difference. Burnley have lost just one of their previous 10 EPL outings (W6 D3 L1) and currently sit 10th in the standings (W13 D6 L13), just two points below the top-seven.
New Zealand striker Chris Wood leads Burnley with 11 league goals, but is unlikely to feature, having just returned to light training. Goalie Nick Pope, meanwhile, sits 6th in the Premier League with 98 saves. He has recorded a league-high 13 clean sheets in 32 outings this year and gives up a goal every 64 minutes on average. Burnley have netted the 12th highest quantity of goals during the ongoing campaign (36), while delivering the 3rd lowest amount of shots per game (10). The team is 2nd from the bottom in ball possession (43.2%) and bottom of the league in passing accuracy (69.0%).
Sheffield United Overcome Spurs
A three-game losing streak in all competitions came to an end for Sheffield United, who banked a 3-1 home victory against Tottenham Hotspur at Bramall Lane on Thursday. Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge, Blades’ record signing, opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark before Lys Mousset made it 2-0 in the second half, with Oli McBurnie adding Sheffield’s third in the 84th minute ahead of Spurs’ 90th-minute consolation snipe. The Blades have moved to the 7th place in the league (W12 D11 L9), trailing the top-five by five points.
French forward Mousset tops Sheffield United’s scoring table, having banked six Premier League markers this year. Goalie Dean Henderson, meanwhile, sits 10th in the league with 82 saves. He has picked up 11 clean sheets in 30 contests this season and allows a goal every 104 minutes of play. The Blades have buried the 15th highest quantity of EPL snipes this season (33) while delivering the absolute lowest number of shots per game (9.6). The team is 16th in both ball possession (44.8%) and passing accuracy (74.8%).
Prediction
Despite having a string of players either injured or out of contract, and embarking on the Premier League restart with a 5-0 fiasco against Manchester City, Burnley have managed to go against all odds once again, currently riding a two-game winning streak. The team has dropped just one of its past 10 decisions (W6 D3 L1) and has gone unbeaten on its own turf for five straight home games (W3 D2). Expect quite a difficult matchup against Sheffield United, though, with the Blades going into the contest on the back of a convincing 3-1 home triumph over Tottenham Hotspur. The Clarets have won just one of their last three meetings with the team from South Yorkshire (W1 D1 L1). Still, Sheffield United have triumphed in just four of their 16 league travels this season, posting eight draws along the way. Can Burnley earn a point here? Most definitely!
Best bet:
Draw (+195)