FA Cup: The Blades and Seagulls Tussle at Bramall Lane

Sheffield United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Brighton are set to play their second cup game this month, as they’ll visit Sheffield United at Bramall Lane this Saturday in the fourth round of the ongoing FA Cup.

The Seagulls managed to dispatch Stoke City in the previous round in what was a high-scoring affair (4-2), but their momentum was slightly halted after they were held to a goalless draw by the Wolves last night.

Sheffield United got this far in a similar fashion, as they routed Gillingham 4-0 earlier this month. But like Brighton, they were also held to a draw by West Ham United last time out.

Despite the talent gap between these two sides, this particular fixture has been close in the past few years, so there’s a possibility that an upset is on the cards.

Talking Points

Diaz off to a good start at Sheffield United

Ben Brereton Diaz is back in English football, and he has made himself at home right away at Bramall Lane by scoring in his Premier League debut against West Ham United on Sunday. Prior to that, he made his Blades debut as a substitute in their FA Cup game against Gillingham.

Diaz’s goal against the Hammers was his first club goal since May, when he notched a brace for Blackburn on the final day of the 2022-23 Championship campaign.

The Chilean forward moved to Villarreal in a four-year deal last summer, but it hasn’t worked out for him there because he only started in two La Liga games while coming off the bench 12 times, and he hasn’t scored at all.

Diaz’s move to Sheffield United is via a loan agreement they had with the La Liga side, which will last for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Adding Diaz to their ranks is a shrewd move to further strengthen Sheffield United’s attacking corps because he gives the likes of Oli McBurnie, James McAtee, and Cameron Archer competition up front.

With more firepower at Chris Wilder’s disposal, maybe there’s a chance that the Blades can claw their way out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Pedro and Groß will be key for Brighton

Brighton’s goalless draw against the Wolves means that they have failed to score at home for the first time this season, which is a bad look considering they dominated possession in the said match.

The Seagulls clearly miss the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March, and with the two of them still unavailable, head coach Roberto De Zerbi will have to get creative in churning out FA Cup 2024 highlights from the others.

Facundo Buonanotte is one of them, but for this particular game,

Pedro is currently the team’s leading scorer with 15 goals. De Zerbi has spoken highly of Pedro, and the manager wants him to stay aggressive.

Moreover, Groß has been involved in five goals in his last six FA Cup appearances, including two assists against Stoke City.

History

Sheffield United and Brighton will meet in the FA Cup for the third time ever, and these two clubs have split their two previous meetings, with the Seagulls winning the first one in the first round in 1921-22, while the Blades won in their third round replay in 1986-87.

Interestingly, Brighton are winless in seven league matches against Sheffield United (D3, L4) since winning 2-1 at Bramall Lane in January 2005 during a Championship contest.

And the Blades managed to progress from each of their last four FA Cup fourth round ties since losing in a replay to Preston in 2014-15.

Under Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton have won all three road matches in the FA Cup, which is their joint-longest away winning run in the tournament since they last did so in December 1932.

Betting Tip 

The SBOTOP FA Cup 2024 odds have Brighton moving on to the next round, as they’re priced at 1.53, while Sheffield United are 4.83 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.81 odds in the 1X2 market.

There have been zero clean sheets in three of their last five meetings, so we’re also confident with Total Goals 2-3 at 1.97, although Under 2.75 at 1.99 is also a huge possibility.

A Correct Score 1-1 – the result of their Premier League encounter last November – is on offer at 7.60. But if you fancy the Blades winning this one, then take a look at Correct Score 1-0 in favour of Sheffield United since it has a staggering price of 16.00.

 

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