Fresh off their 2-1 win over Sevilla in the Champions League, Arsenal will be expecting to win once more as they welcome Sheffield United to the Emirates Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s side are still undefeated in the Premier League but came very close to ending that streak last weekend, battling back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
That point was as many as Sheffield United have taken in all nine of their Premier League games this season, Paul Heckingbottom’s side already appearing to be bound for relegation. A win at the Emirates Stadium would be an almighty upset, the sort that might fire the Blades up the Premier League table. Here is how you can watch the match and what you need to know:
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Viewing information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London
- TV: USA | Live stream: fubo (free trial)
- Odds: Arsenal -1000; Draw +800; Sheffield United +2200
Storylines
Arsenal: After assembling a near fully fit squad after the international break — one missing only long-term absentee Jurrien Timber — injuries have already begun to bite again for Arteta. It is perhaps no surprise that Thomas Partey is once more nursing a muscular issue, one that kept him from travelling to Spain on Tuesday, but an even more profound blow is the hamstring issue picked up by Gabriel Jesus after his superb performance against Sevilla. Both players are expected to be out for “a couple of weeks”.
Jesus’ absence brings with it an intriguing conundrum. Eddie Nketiah has largely been the favored option to lead the line but Kai Havertz has impressed off the bench as a center forward. Should the German play through the middle that could open up a starting spot in the XI for Emile Smith Rowe or Fabio Vieira.
Sheffield United: With just nine games played, Heckingbottom already finds himself battling for his future amid speculation that Chris Wilder, the man who brought the Blades to the Premier League in 2019 and kept them up, could return to the club. The current Sheffield United manager might reasonably suggest that injuries and underwhelming transfer business have not exactly given him a club capable of winning many top flight games but this is a brutal business.
Equally it is one where momentum can shift with one game, particularly if that is a shock win at the Emirates. “In terms of the challenge, we have to relish it,” said Heckingbottom. “When you’re playing, you can’t always see these moments as opportunities, but they are. You’ve got to enjoy going to the toughest place and putting in a performance.
“These are the games that can kick-start people’s careers and really establish them, so someone’s career, someone’s rise to success, someone’s whatever it is that gets them to the top level has to start somewhere and it’s getting that mindset into players. We shouldn’t fear going there. We should accept how tough it’s going to be and what level of performance we have to put in to get points.”
Prediction
As Heckingbottom himself noted, there is quite the gulf between these two sides. Expect that to be reflected on the pitch. PICK: Arsenal 3, Sheffield United 0
