Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur
With this season’s Premier League title being already won by Liverpool, the focus towards the end of this campaign is now on which clubs will get to secure the UEFA Champions League and Europa League spots.
This year’s race for the spots in the European showcases was complicated for a bit due to several reasons. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is one, but the other one clearly had a ripple effect across the Premier League table in particular.
Manchester City was meted out a two-year ban by the UEFA Committee due to FFP violations. And if their appeal to the board is unsuccessful, that means that a new team will move up to take their place.
As of this writing, this means that Leicester City, Chelsea, and the Wolves will be in the Champions League, while Manchester United and Tottenham will be in the Europa League and Burnley are set to compete in the qualifiers.
So this weekend’s match will be of utmost importance for Sheffield United and Tottenham, given that only a point is what separates between these two teams.
Talking Points
Sheffield United have injury doubts on key players
Chris Wilder’s side are in miserable form since the league restart. They were held to a goalless draw against Aston Villa before losing three straight to Newcastle, Manchester United, and Arsenal.
Their defence has been suspect in those losses, giving up an average of 2.67 goals per match while they’ve only scored once during the said stretch.
And what hurts even more for them coming into this match is the fact that two of their key players are considered doubtful this weekend.
Blades midfielder John Lundstram suffered an arm injury during their recent FA Cup tiff and he will be missed for this game against the Spurs. The 26-year-old Englishman is one of their top scorers so far this term with four goals and three assists.
Another key cog who is in doubt is Jack O’Connell who has been helpful at the centre-back position. The former Rochdale captain was injured during training prior to their game against Aston Villa and has not been featured in the lineup ever since.
With him out, Jack Robinson, Chris Basham, and John Egan have been filling the void, along with Dean Henderson between the sticks for their backline.
Tottenham facing a big offseason conundrum
In stark contrast, the Spurs are basking in great form as of late because of their recent Premier League 2020 results – with one win and one draw since the league’s mandated hiatus.
The combo of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Steven Bergwijn has shown no signs of rust whatsoever as they continue to terrorise their counterparts with their precise striking and pace.
On paper, the Lilywhites have an underrated lineup that can go all the way to secure a spot in the Champions League or Europa League. However, the only thing that can stop them at this point is the overall morale in the dressing room.
Tottenham would have to figure out on how to deal with Tanguy Ndombele especially since he is not happy with his current situation.
Despite all the talent and potential that he has, the French midfielder isn’t getting enough playing time – leading to him being disgruntled towards team boss Jose Mourinho.
Although the club mentioned that they have no plans on selling Ndombele this summer, they would be keen on avoiding making another blunder similar to how they did with Moussa Dembele two years ago.
History
Matches between Sheffield United and Tottenham are few and far between with neither of them really having the upper hand.
They’ve only faced each other in five matches where Tottenham won twice, and Sheffield United won once along with two draws.
The Blades and the Lilywhites drew level in their reverse fixture back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Heung-Min Son drew first blood with a goal in the 58th minute, but George Baldock was able to equalise 20 minutes later.
During the said game, Tottenham dominated possession at 61-per cent and with a healthier squad coming into this match, we can expect more of the same from them.
Betting Tip
Sheffield United vs Tottenham Hotspur | Tottenham Hotspur Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.72 | |
July 03, 01:00 (GMT+8) |
Our latest Premier League 2020 odds point to a victory in favour of Tottenham as they are priced at 1.99, while Sheffield United are priced at 3.75 and a draw is at 3.35 in the 1X2 market.
If checking goals are your thing, you may want to place your wager at Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.89 given how low-scoring matches are the trend between these two clubs.
But I would lean more on betting a victory for the Spurs in this one especially since they’ve been in good form since the restart.
Tune in for more of your Premier League action here at SBOBET!
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH: | |||
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= €20 (Highly confident) | = €10 (CONFIDENT) | = €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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