Sheffield United were not the team Arsenal wanted to be drawn against in the FA Cup quarterfinals. The Blades defeated Arsenal at Bramall Lane in the Premier League in the first half of the season then went to Emirates and claimed a 1-1 draw.
Now, Chris Wilder’s team are aiming for a massive win at home to reach the FA Cup semifinals.
Arsenal will hope to overturn their recent poor displays since the league’s restart. Although Mikel Arteta’s team won against Southampton 2-0 away in midweek, they lost back to back games in the league prior to that victory.
Sheffield United did not restart the league season well drawing nil-nil at Aston Villa before suffering back to back 3-0 losses to Newcastle United and Manchester United respectively. The Blades have not scored in their last three league games further showcasing their lack in quality goal scorers.
Arsenal will hope to take advantage of that lack of goal scoring power Sheffield United have recently exhibited. Arteta does have a number of players suffering from injury including Calum Chambers, Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli, and Pablo Mari. None of those players will play on Sunday.
Arteta is still waiting on a fitness report on Cedric Soares who is recovering from a face injury. Soares’ move from Southampton in January has been nothing but a nightmare due to injuries.
Wilder is hoping Lys Mousset and Jack O’Connell will both be fit to play in the fixture. The duo is recovering from their respective issues and are listed as 50% likely to feature.
Sunday’s FA Cup quarterfinal at Bramall Lane should be low scoring just like the clubs’ two previous league matches this season. The Blades won the first encounter 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike from Mousset.
Their second encounter at the Emirates ended 1-1 with Arsenal scoring in the first half through Martinelli. John Fleck scored an equaliser seven minutes from time to give Sheffield United a share of the spoils.
The FA Cup quarterfinal match between the clubs should see similar trends with both teams finding the back of the net. Although the fixture will be behind closed doors, Sheffield United should be buoyed by playing at home.
Arsenal have won just three times on the road in the league this season and that poor form should continue to cause havoc for Arteta. Sunday’s game at Bramall Lane should end in a score draw with extra-time and penalties possibly needed to sort out the winner.
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