Preview & Prediction: Liverpool FC vs Sheffield United FC

The Week 31 of Premier League sees Anfield being the setting for an intriguing face-off between the indomitable Liverpool FC and the struggling Sheffield United FC. As the stats make evident, there is quite an unbalanced power dynamic here.

Liverpool FC enters this game with an admirable tally of 13 points from the past 5 matches, home or away, averaging 2.6 points each match. BTTS has been seen in 4 out of these 5 games, and Liverpool has netted 12 goals during these face-offs. Notably, Liverpool is enjoying a 15-match winning streak at home and will be pushing to maintain that record. Sheffield United’s defense will have a tough act ahead given Liverpool’s continuous scoring successes in their last 7 matches at home. Liverpool’s momentum is also upbeat with a 6-game streak without a loss.

Contrastingly, Sheffield United steps into this game with a meager 2 points garnered from the past 5 matches. Scoring in these matches has been limited to 5 goals while BTTS has landed in only 2 out of 5 games. Sheffield United’s luck doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon with the team having not won any of the last 5 matches, accompanied by 3 defeats, and a historically low goal scoring record, failing to score in 3 of the last 5 games.

The historical data between these two teams also leans heavily in Liverpool’s favor. Out of 5 previous meetings, Liverpool has triumphed 5 times, while Sheffield United failed to secure a win. Recent form reveals Liverpool’s exceptional home game performance and Sheffield United’s dismal away game record. The last encounter between the two ended in Liverpool’s favor with a score of 2-0.

So, as per the current form and historical performance data, the odds seem to heavily favor a victory for Liverpool FC in this match. However, football often witnessed the unexpected, and one should never underestimate an underdog’s potential.

Insights

• Liverpool has an incredible home form with an unbeaten streak of 15 games, making them strong contenders in the match against Sheffield United.
• The team has gained 13 points from its last five games, scoring 12 times and achieving an average of 2.6 points per game.
• Liverpool’s offensive strength is evident, having scored on every occasion in their last seven games when playing at home.
• Against Sheffield United, Liverpool has a record of four victories and a draw in their last five matches, enhancing their stance as favourites for the upcoming match.
• Sheffield United enters this match with a run of poor form, having only picked up 2 points from their last five games.
• Their offensive ability has been underwhelming, scoring just 5 times in their last five fixtures.
• Sheffield United displays defensive vulnerability, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 41% of their games this season.
• Liverpool has dominated previous face-offs against Sheffield United with five victories in the last five meetings, and no standing draws or Sheffield victories.
• Both teams have failed to score in many of the matches, with BTTS landing in just 20% of these games.
• The imbalance in the team’s current form is stark, with Liverpool averaging 2.6 points per game at home matches and Sheffield averaging only 0.43 points per game at away matches this season.
• Considering the attractive goal scoring form of Liverpool and Sheffield’s recent trend of games with three or more goals, this match may witness a couple of goals.
• Sheffield United’s struggling offensive form, seen in their failure to score in three of their last five games, puts them at a significant disadvantage against Liverpool’s relentless home form.

Match Forecast

• The match will likely see Liverpool dominate possession and control the game in Sheffield’s half due to their strength in creating scoring chances and Sheffield’s weakness in keeping possession.
• Liverpool are expected to create many scoring opportunities from set pieces, given their strength in this regard and Sheffield’s weakness in defending set pieces.
• Sheffield should capitalize on Liverpool’s weakness in avoiding offside and aim to catch them out with counter-attacks.
• Sheffield may struggle to finish their scoring chances, given their weakness in this area and Liverpool’s strong defending.
• The match will likely see a fair share of ‘aerial duels’, as Liverpool is known for its aerial prowess.
• Sheffield is known for its aggressive play, they should be mindful of not fouling in dangerous areas particularly with Liverpool’s strong attacking prowess and ability to capitalize on set pieces.
• Due to Liverpool’s skillful play, Sheffield may struggle to defend, as their ability to defend against skillful players is very weak.
• As Sheffield typically plays with long balls, Liverpool should be prepared for a lot of possession turnovers.
• Both teams often rotate their first eleven, implying a likelihood of unexpected player lineups.
• Given Liverpool’s strength in attacking down the wings, Sheffield may end up conceding goals, as their defense against wing attacks is very weak.
• Sheffield will likely try to steal the ball from the opposition to counter Liverpool’s possession football.
• Both teams often resort to long shots, expect both goalkeepers to be tested from range.

Match Facts

The most frequently seen final score for games between Liverpool FC and Sheffield United is 2-0, a result that has occurred 3 times. In their past five home games against Sheffield United, Liverpool FC has emerged victorious 4 times and Sheffield United has won just once, with no draws. Across these games, the goal tally has been 10-3 for Liverpool FC. In their 11 meetings, Liverpool FC has won seven times while Sheffield United has only won twice, with two games ending in a draw. The goal difference during these games has been 17-6 in Liverpool FC’s favour. Sheffield United hasn’t beaten Liverpool FC on their home ground since 1994. An interesting statistic to note is that 37% of Liverpool FC’s goals are scored between the 76th and 90th minute. In contrast, Liverpool FC scores only 3% of their goals in the first 15 minutes of the game, the least in the league. Sheffield United tends to score 37% of their goals between the 61st and 75th minute. Liverpool FC has an impressive home game record, remaining undefeated in their past 31 games. Sheffield United, however, is on a losing streak with no victories in their past five games. They also haven’t managed to win against Liverpool FC in their last six attempts. When playing at home, Liverpool FC hasn’t lost to Sheffield United in their past four encounters. Interestingly, Liverpool FC has received the highest number of red cards in the Premier League this season, with a total of five. Liverpool FC failed to score in one of their 14 home Premier League games this season, while Sheffield United failed to score in six of their 14 away games. Liverpool FC’s home game record for the season stands at 11 wins, 3 draws and no losses, while Sheffield United has won just once, drawn three times, and lost 10 times during away games. Player stats reveal that Mohamed Salah has been indispensable for Liverpool FC, setting up nine goals. Gustavo Hamer leads for Sheffield United in assists, having set up four goals. Liverpool FC has kept a constant scoring streak for 21 consecutive games. Conversely, Sheffield United has had a goal against them in their past ten games. Liverpool FC wins early in the match 45% of the time, compared to Sheffield United’s 17%. In fact, Liverpool FC ends up winning close to half the time when the match is tied at halftime, whereas Sheffield United only wins 17% of the time. Their latest match was won by Liverpool FC, who scored two more goals than Sheffield United. When Liverpool FC scores the first goal at home, they have a 100% probability of winning the match. Sheffield United, however, only wins 55% of the time when they score the first goal. When Liverpool FC is a goal down, they manage to make a comeback 50% of the time. Sheffield United, on the other hand, has never managed to make a comeback when a goal down. Liverpool FC usually performs better than Sheffield United. Liverpool FC’s performance in the last five matches has been better than Sheffield United’s. Liverpool FC has not lost any of their last five games against Sheffield United. In these five games, Liverpool FC has won every time, with no draws. When playing against Sheffield United, Liverpool FC scores an average of 1.8 goals per match while Sheffield United scores just 0.2 goals against Liverpool FC. The average number of goals per match between the two is around 2. Both teams didn’t win their last Premier League match. Liverpool FC scores an average of 2.97 goals when playing at home while Sheffield United scores an average of 1 goal when playing away. Did you know that Liverpool FC scores 37% of their goals between the 76th and 90th minute? This is the highest in the league. Liverpool FC’s Mohamed Salah leads his team with 15 goals, whilst Oliver McBurnie from Sheffield United has scored 5 times.