I’m sure Roman Abramovich will be over the moon.
OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
820 - Chelsea completed 820 passes and recorded 78.9% possession against Wolves – since the start of 2003-04, these are both the highest totals by a team in their manager’s first Premier League game in charge. Stamp. #CHEWOL pic.twitter.com/oTLXi1071o
January 27, 2021
On Eric Bailly: “He’s had a bang. He’s a bit sore. He was down to play but hasn’t made it.”
On Sheffield United: “They tend to lose by the odd goal, there are tight games. We’ve got to be confident.”
On Tuanzebe’s first Premier League start: “It’s a massive opportunity for Axel.”
Full-time scores in the early kick-offs:
Thomas Tuchel 0-0 Wolves
Burnley 3-2 Aston Villa
Some pre-match reading.
Find it very weird why Greenwood has to put up with any criticism at all, from journalists, and Solskjær’s take here – seemingly putting more pressure on Greenwood – is an odd take too.
Greenwood clearly has the talent, the mentality, confidence in his own ability, knows the history of the club. Nobody disputes this. He’s still learning the game tactically and just needs the minutes, which have been fewer since the arrival of both Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani.
There was a lot of talk about his (superb) goal against Liverpool being the first for two months. He has started just three of seven matches this year, and has played the full 90 minutes a sum total of zero times. Leave the kid alone, he’s magic.
Despite being battered for much of the match, Burnley have scored twice in three minutes and are now 3-2 up against the Villa! After the daylight robbery at Anfield, Sean Dyche looks like he’s going to mastermind another narrow win.
There are three games currently going on elsewhere. Chelsea are looking thoroughly uninspired at home to Wolves – 0-0 there, which you can follow here – while Aston Villa have just retaken a second-half lead at Burnley, with Jack Grealish making it 2-1 at Turf Moor.
Meanwhile, Brighton v Fulham has just kicked off.
The Bailly absence is an interesting one. He has been arguably the pick of Manchester United’s centre backs in recent weeks, and was left out of the game against Liverpool owing to an ‘little’ injury concern. Solskjær had said he would be fit for tonight, but he’s not even in the squad.
Manchester United: De Gea, Wan Bissaka, Tuanzebe, Maguire, Alex Telles, Pogba, Matic, Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Martial, Rashford.
Subs: Lindelof, Cavani, Mata, Fred, James, Shaw, Henderson, Van de Beek, McTominay.
Sheff Utd: Ramsdale, Basham, Bryan, Jagielka, Baldock, Lundstram, Ampadu, Norwood, Fleck, McGoldrick, Sharp.
Subs: Mousset, Lowe, Burke, Foderingham, Bogle, Brewster.
Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside)
Luke Shaw, one of the Solskjær’s best players in the last few weeks, is rested, which is somewhat of a surprise. Alex Telles comes in for just his sixth league start since signing in October. Tuanzebe comes back in, with Lindelof on the bench and Bailly left out entirely. Perhaps the Norweigan has an eye on the trip to Arsenal this Saturday.
Looks like Sheffield United are lining up in their 3-5-2. Sharp and McGoldrick get the nod over Bogle and Brewster up front. John Egan sits out the match through suspension, whilst Enda Stevens misses out through injury. The absence of Jack O’Connell also continues to be a huge miss, with the defender recently suffering a setback to the knee injury that has kept him out since September.
On paper, Manchester United couldn’t ask for an easier league fixture if they tried. The Blades are rock bottom of the league, 12 point adrift of safety, and just about limped past League One Plymouth in the FA Cup on Saturday. At home. An away trip to Old Trafford is a little more daunting.
What sort of a team talk will Ole opt for tonight? Lads, it’s Sheffield United? Or perhaps he will hit the ‘warn against complacency’ button, a la Football Manager. United have made a habit of conceding first this season (and have done just that in two of the last three matches against Sheffield United) so perhaps it will be the latter.
Chris Wilder’s team have showed a few encouraging signs, but it would be a mistake to call this a resurgence. Their only league win of the season came against a woeful Newcastle side earlier this month, a clumsy handball gifting the Blades a penalty after Ryan Fraser had been sent off for the visitors. “We looked as though we had our identity back: that was us,” trumpeted Chris Wilder after match, but in the words of Patsy to Gloria Trillo, it wasn’t cinematic.
Since then, Sheffield United have reverted to type against Spurs and then Plymouth. Things don’t get any easier for the Blades, with trips to Manchester City and Chelsea in the next two weeks, so they are going to need to start motoring at some point. Today is a new day.
Kick-off: 8.15pm GMT
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