Sheffield United vs. Arsenal
Venue: Bramail Lane
Kick off: 7PM
Arsenal travel to Sheffield United in the Premier League this evening seeking their first victory in a month.
The Gunners have gone four without a win in all competitions and need to respond here against the division’s bottom side.
Arsenal’s first full season under Mikel Arteta can perhaps be summed up by the final 10 minutes of Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League quarter-final first-leg draw with Slavia Prague.
The Gunners frustrated for large parts before eventually finding a way through via a Nicolas Pepe strike, only to be pegged back by the softest of Tomas Holes goals in added time.
That leaves Arteta’s men needing to score at least once in next week’s return fixture in Prague if they are to keep their season alive.
Finishing in a European spot in the Premier League is now out of the question following a draw with West Ham United and defeat to Liverpool in their last two games.
Arsenal are positioned exactly midway in the division heading into the weekend’s action, seven points off a Europa League spot with just eight games remaining.
Today’s trip to Bramall Lane presents a big opportunity to get back to winning ways, though, against a United side now preparing for life back in the second tier.
The Blades’ relegation has not yet been officially confirmed, but a fifth loss in a row this weekend will effectively seal the deal.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side did at least manage to snap a three-game run without scoring last time out, albeit with Ben Osborn’s goal coming in a 2-1 loss to Leeds United.
United are the lowest-scoring side in the Premier League, netting just 17 times in 30 matches, but Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in 14 games in all competitions.
This is not exactly a fixture Arsenal are famous for doing well in, either, having failed to win on any of their four Premier League trips to Bramall Lane, losing the last two.
In fact, Arsenal have played more Premier League matches at Bramall Lane without winning than at any other ground, a run which they quite simply have to bring an end to here.
Sheffield United possible XI: Ramsdale, Egan, Ampadu, Jagielka, Stevens, Lundstram, Norwood, Fleck, Osborn, McGoldrick, McBurnie.
Arsenal possible XI: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric, Elneny, Xhaka, Pepe, Ceballos, Saka, Aubameyang.
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