Sheffield United vs Norwich City – Preview | OneFootball

Sheffield United return to Championship action this Saturday to host an inconsistent Norwich City team.

Before bowing out of the FA Cup last week against Cardiff City, United held on to a 2-1 victory away at Watford, thanks to a sensational long-range strike from Andre Brooks.

Meanwhile, Norwich City also won via a 2-1 scoreline in their previous league outing, coming at home against Coventry City. In fact, the Canaries are finally stringing results together; they come into this game at Bramall Lane on a four-match unbeaten run, as they continue to play catch-up with the playoff places.

Transfer Business

Norwich City have been very active in the January transfer window having already made three signings. Firstly, Norwich signed promising wide forward Lewis Dobbin on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season, the player was previously at West Bromwich Albion earlier in the campaign but was not getting many minutes.

It really is difficult to judge Dobbin; he shows glimpses of quality in games and has the right player template for his position, but he is far from being that reliable wide man that you know is going to impact games.

A familiar name to us Blades is Anis Slimane. The roaming midfielder was snapped up on a permanent deal recently after impressing during his initial loan spell at Carrow Road. The Tunisian international has two goals to his name in 14 starts. Even though his time at United didn’t work out, I’ve always thought he would be a player that thrives in a team that allows him to fluctuate between different areas of the pitch, and that’s what he’s had at Norwich.

He has flair, a good burst of pace, and he isn’t scared of shooting from distance. Plus, he’ll likely be playing with a point to prove on Saturday afternoon.

The other player Norwich have signed is versatile forward Matej Jurasek. The Czech international heads to Norfolk with a big reputation. The 21-year-old has previously scored two goals in the UEFA Europa League for his now former club, Slavia Praha, which says everything you need to know about his potential.

Team News

Finally, the Blades have a bit of good news on the injury front. Tyrese Campbell and Femi Seriki are back in training, and Chris Wilder has revealed both have a good chance of being in the matchday squad.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Kieffer Moore has a groin injury which he has been playing through for a while. The Welsh international will undergo an operation once United bring in reinforcements.

Norwich City will be without Borja Sainz and Josh Sargent for the trip to Bramall Lane. Sainz has a six-match ban while Sargent is slowly making his way back from injury.

Meanwhile, Anis Slimane, Christian Fassnacht, Liam Gibbs and Gabe Forsyth are doubts.

Sheffield United’s Star Player For This Game

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Tom Davies of Sheffield United celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sunderland AFC at Bramall Lane on November 29, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

In a game against Norwich City, even with their injuries, it’s important to control the tempo of this match otherwise flair players like Emiliano Marcondes and Marcelino Nunez can take advantage. This is why it’s imperative for Tom Davies to show his excellent composure and football intelligence to help Sheffield United kick into gear.

Davies has been a brilliant watch, despite being forced into a heavy dose of football quicker than we all anticipated, due to injuries in midfield. While his creativity doesn’t look good, that is not his job in the team; Davies is in the team to break the lines in the middle third and progress the Blades up the pitch into advanced areas.

The former Everton man has averaged over five progressive passes per 90, two progressive carries per 90, and he ranks in the 96th percentile for successful take-ons compared to other Championship midfielders this season, per FBref.

In addition, he has proven his combative qualities; he currently ranks in the top 3% of Championship midfielders at tackles won per 90. He also ranks in the 87th percentile for interceptions and blocking a pass, demonstrating his superb reading of the game. And the home team will need more of this on Saturday afternoon.

Norwich City’s Star Player For This Game

LUTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 01: Emiliano Marcondes of Norwich City looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Luton Town FC and Norwich City FC at on January 01, 2025 in Luton, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

With the recent news that Norwich City’s top scorer Borja Sainz will miss six games due to spitting, you have to wonder how big of a miss that will be for them considering he has bagged 15 goals and provided three assists. But, the Canaries are not starved of other attacking talent.

One of those attacking talents is Emiliano Marcondes. The Danish attacking midfielder is a very good player for this level and has already contributed with three goals and three assists in 18 appearances this season.

While not blessed with pace, Marcondes has a great understanding of the game, and he is a very neat player during combination play in the final third.

My Prediction

Norwich City come into this game as the fourth-best team in terms of xG, but also the best team at outperforming their goals vs xG numbers. This is largely down to the insane form of Borja Sainz, but he’s out for six games now.

In contrast, Sheffield United are the third-best team in terms of giving up xG as well as the third-best team in goals vs xG (defensively), registering -6.72, per Opta. While this is outstanding, these numbers were largely accumulated while Harry Souttar and Vinicius Souza were part of that defence.

This game will come down to which midfield keeps the composure the most, that can beat the opposition press and also break up play. And potentially even without Vinicius Souza, I am giving the edge to the Blades. I’m going for a 2-1 win for Sheffield United.