The 17th June sees the long awaited return of some Premier League action, albeit behind closed doors.
Being the Blades game in hand, it’s a fixture that looks to give some parity and get the season back on a level playing, Sheffield United astoundingly able to put themselves into the top five with the right result on the day.
We thought we’d take a look back at the reverse fixture which now seems like an age ago.
Back in December, Premier League strugglers Aston Villa visited Bramall Lane to take on a Sheffield United side who had less than a week earlier beaten the other recently promoted side Norwich City.
It was John Fleck who took the plaudits in securing all three points in a 2-0 win for the Blades, United with a convincing second half after just shading a stalemate opening 45 minutes.
The gravitationally challenged Jack Grealish hit the bar with a penalty, given when the ball hit the outstretched arm of John Egan as he tried to clear a cross, but that was as close as Villa came.
“Thought today we were great Villa obvs watched the Newcastle game and came with a plan to put 10 men behind the ball… but we remained calm and didn’t start flapping …then the second half just picked them off …proper mature performance that you’d expect from a team that has been in the prem far more seasons than we have”
TommyC
S24SU.com Forum Member
Extended Highlights:
View 9 minutes of extended highlights from the game below:
Dat Bash back heel 👀 #sufc #twitterblades
— S24SU.com (@s24su) December 14, 2019
With a great all round performance from Fleck to go with his brace, he was the winner of the S24SU Player Ratings Man of The Match with a rating of 9.31/10 (average from votes of all participating supporters).
Sheffield United:
Dean Henderson – 7.30
George Baldock – 8.58
Chris Basham – 8.74
John Egan – 7.51
Jack O’Connell – 7.67
Enda Stevens – 7.64
Oliver Norwood – 7.46
John Fleck – 9.31 MOTM
John Lundstram – 7.96, replaced by Mo Bešić on 86 mins
David McGoldrick – 8.45, replaced by Ben Osborn on 90 mins
Lys Mousset – 6.34, replaced by Oli McBurnie – 7.73 on 61 mins
Aston Villa: Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Hause, Targett, Lansbury (Luiz 66), Nakamba, McGinn, El Ghazi, Wesley (Kodija 69), Grealish.
Unused: Nyland, Elmohamady, Konsa, Taylor, Trezeguet.
“We still look a mile off Sheff Utd tbh, and we’ve had plenty of time. However i don’t think they will be down there by the end of the season, so it’s the games ahead that really are MUST win. I’d love to show the commitment Sheff Utd do, and play the football they do too”
Anonymous
Aston Villa Supporter
The sides meet again on 17th June, a game which will be televised live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
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