Burnley vs Sheffield United – Preview | OneFootball

Easter Monday sees third place Sheffield United visit Turf Moor to face second place Burnley, with the Blades knowing anything other than three points will effectively see their attention turn to the play-offs, unless Leeds lose their final three games.

Burnley have not lost once in 2025 and they are unbeaten at home this season. Last time out, Scott Parker’s men came from a goal behind at Watford to eventually beat the Hornets who had nine men.

After losing three games on the spin, the Blades knew that they had to claim victory in all of their remaining four fixtures. They started off on the right foot, beating relegation-doomed Cardiff City 2-0 at Bramall Lane. While the performance was far from impressive, and both of the goals were set up via deflected shots, United head to Lancashire with their season still “alive and kicking”, Wilder says.

Team News

The Clarets carry a number of injuries into this game. Enock Agyei and Manuel Benson are ruled out, as is Jordan Beyer, who is still recovering from a knee operation. Jonjo Shelvey will also miss the rest of the campaign. Meanwhile, Mike Tresor has been getting minutes in youth academy matches having missed virtually all of the season recovering from injury.

Additionally, Lyle Foster, Aaron Ramsey, Bashir Humphreys are doubts for Monday afternoon’s late kick-off.

Chris Wilder has almost a full squad to choose from on Easter Monday, however Harry Clarke is out for the season, and Tom Davies is expected to be out for this one.

Burnley’s Impact Player For This Game

The Clarets are in the perfect position going into this game because Scott Parker knows the Blades have to go for it and claim all three points at Turf Moor. Burnley have not lost a single time this term, and they’ve incredibly only conceded six times at home.

The Blades are probably going to throw caution to the wind and risk exposing their defence in transition. One player that would thrive in such a game would be the pacey and tricky winger Marcus Edwards.

Since signing on loan from Sporting Lisbon in the January transfer window, the Englishman has registered a goal and an assist in 12 Championship appearances. While these numbers don’t sound impressive, his performance metrics certainly look good.

Edwards, who mainly operates as an inverted right-winger, ranks in the 96th percentile for expected assists per 90 when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship. Plus, he is one of the best dribblers in the division, averaging over two successful take-ons per 90 (91st percentile).

One thing the United defenders will have to watch out for is Edwards’ trickery and ability to draw fouls. The 26-year-old draws almost three fouls per 90, ranking him in the 93rd percentile. Harrison Burrows at left-back for the Blades, or Sam McCallum, will have their work cut out against one of the standout wingers in the second tier.

Sheffield United’s Impact Player For This Game

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Vinicius Souza and Gustavo Hamer of Sheffield United celebrate after the team’s victory in the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC at Bramall Lane on November 10, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

In order for United to get a win at Turf Moor they’ll certainly need to improve on their performance against Cardiff. While creativity is still an issue for Wilder’s side, they also need to be wary of the threat that Burnley will pose when United’s attacks eventually break down.

Vinicius Souza will need to be right at the top of his game on Monday. Everyone by now knows the Brazilian loves the physical battles in midfield, but he’ll also need to play smartly against the excellent midfield of Burnley, who are very good when playing in bursts.

The Sheffield United defensive midfielder has averaged almost four tackles per 90, along with over one interception and block per 90. The Blades will need him to be at his absolute best at mopping up danger in front of the back line. But they’ll also need him to be sharp and slick in possession.

While Souza is far from a progressive passing machine, he is very capable at keeping the ball moving at a good tempo to shift the opposition’s set-up. One thing that he’s underrated at is his dribbling ability.

Quite often this season, Souza has used his power and ball control to bypass the opposition press and advance through the midfield to spearhead a Blades attack. He ranks in the 95th percentile for successful dribbling percentage compared to every other Championship midfielder. I would certainly back him to get the better of Josh Cullen if he’s in full stride, and perhaps even Josh Brownhill.

My Prediction

In terms of the current top six as of writing, only one team has created less non-penalty expected goals this season than Sheffield United (52 xG), and that team is Burnley (48 xG).

It’s been quite evident all season that the solid Clarets defence, and the excellent form of James Trafford, is the reason why Parker’s men are in the position they are in.

One thing that I find interesting heading into this game is Burnley’s speed of attack. On the eye test, they appear to be very slow on the ball, and this is backed up by Opta’s stats which sees them rank dead last in the league for direct speed of attack.

The more Burnley knock the ball around at the back at a slow pace, the more the Blades may be inclined to press in numbers and try to force mistakes, given that United need a win here. Wilder’s men have been outstanding at forcing the opposition to turn the ball over high up the pitch. 19.3% of turnovers forced from the Blades have seen them have a shot from the forced error. That is the third-best in the league – only Middlesbrough and Preston North End are better in that regard.

Due to the lack of creativity both teams have shown all season-long, as well as Burnley’s unbelievable defensive record at home, this game has 1-0 to either team written all over it.

Stats taken from FBref and Opta.