The Blades head to the Amex on Sunday after getting their campaign up and running with a first win of the season at home to Wolves last time out
Sheffield United will face a very different Brighton side to the one they faced on their last visit to the Amex back in December 2020. Jayden Bogle’s second-half strike looked to be securing a first win of the season at the 14th time of asking when he found the net in the 63rd minute to give the visitors the lead.
However, similar to this season, Chris Wilder’s side suffered a late equaliser when Danny Welbeck earned Brighton a point three minutes from time. It was another huge blow in the bid to keep their season alive.
Sheffield United return in similar circumstances, bottom of the table, but in better spirits following Saturday’s 2-1 success over Wolves. However, that can not be said about the hosts.
Indeed, Sunday’s clash will provide another stark reminder of the size of the division Sheffield United have re-entered for a third time in five years. Brighton were fifth bottom at the time of that fixture with just two wins, but fast forward to today and the Seagulls are flying in seventh and are now among Europe’s best of the rest in the Europa League.
And in Roberto de Zerbi, they have a coach who Pep Guardiola believes will be the next Man City manager. The Seagulls have soared while United went backwards, cutting their cloth and are now back swimming against the tide that will be strong once again on the south coast.
It’s another example of how fast the Premier League has grown in the time United have been away. Unlike that campaign, when the writing was on the wall at that point with an eight-point gap already to 17th placed Fulham, Oliver Norwood’s spot-kick means Sheffield United are right in the mix in that mini-league of four that has formed at the bottom and has offered hope that they could recover from their record-breakingly bad start to the season.
De Zerbi’s side has tasted defeat just once on home soil this season, and that was back in August. Since then the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool have not managed to get the better of them at the Amex. Following this match, a third international break follows providing Paul Heckingbottom and his players with a chance to take stock ahead of a crucial double-header against Bournemouth and Burnley.
In the meantime though, Sunday’s match will be a timely reminder of the challenge they are up against this season as the gulf between the Premier League and Championship shows.
