A relegation six-pointer will beckon us when Luton Town and Sheffield United meet at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
Saturday will be an action-packed day in the Premier League, with Gameweek 24 of the 2023/24 Premier League season getting underway with the lunchtime kick-off between Manchester City and Everton. Five simultaneous fixtures beckon after that, one of which will have Luton Town hosting a downtrodden Sheffield United at Kenilworth Road.
Luton Town would have hoped to channel the underdog energy in the 2023/24 season, which has happened thus far. The Hatters took some time to get going but are finally on a resurgent run. Rob Edwards’s men have lost only one of their last nine games across all competitions while rising out of the relegation zone with some impressive results against Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United.
On the other hand, Sheffield United have been the whipping boys of the 2023/24 Premier League season. The Blades have hardly ever been anywhere but the bottom of the table, and safety is seemingly a pipedream. The return of Chris Wilder has not been the Cinderella Story the club wanted either, with the 56-year-old having a paltry 18% win rate in his latest stint.
The reverse fixture saw Luton Town coming from a goal down to beat Sheffield United 3-2, with the Blades scoring two own goals to seal their fate. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Luton Town
Rob Edwards does not have a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Sheffield United on Saturday, the Luton Town manager will be bereft of the services of three first-team players.
Tom Lockyer remains a long-term absentee after suffering a cardiac arrest in December. In addition, Marvelous Nakamba is still in the treatment room due to his knee injury. Mads Andersen is closing in on returning from his calf issue, but Saturday’s game might have come too soon for him.
Thomas Kaminski will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Luton Town lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against Sheffield United. The central defensive unit should see no changes, with Gabriel Osho, Teden Mengi, and Amari’i Bell starting. Chiedozie Ogbene and Alfie Doughty should be the two marauding wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past the budding pairing of Ross Barkley and Albert Sambi Lokonga. Lokonga will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Barkley providing the forward thrust. Finally, Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris, and Andros Townsend should form a fluid trifecta in the offensive department.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kaminski; Osho, Mengi, Bell; Ogbene, Barkley, Lokonga, Doughty; Townsend, Morris; Adebayo
Sheffield United
Unlike his counterpart in the Luton Town dugout, Chris Wilder has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Kenilworth Road. The Sheffield United manager will be without five first-team players on Saturday.
Rhian Brewster has served a suspension and will be available. In addition, Oliver McBurnie (calf) and Max Lowe (knock) have recovered from their issues, although they face late fitness tests to determine their availability. Meanwhile, Ivo Grbic (head), Chris Basham (ankle), John Egan (leg), George Baldock, and Daniel Jebbison (illness) remain in the treatment room.
Sheffield United will line up in a 3-4-3 formation against Luton Town, with Wes Foderingham taking his place in the goal. The central defensive unit should feature Anel Ahmedhodzic, Auston Trusty, and Jack Robinson, with Jayden Bogle and Yasser Larouci being the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Gustavo Hamer and Vinicius Souza will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park, with the former also providing the creative impetus. Finally, James McAtee, Cameron Archer, and Ben Brereton Diaz will form the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson; Bogle, Hamer, Souza, Larouci; McAtee, Archer, Brereton Diaz
Key Stats
- Luton Town are unbeaten in their last four home league games with Sheffield United (W1 D3). The Hatters won 2-1 the last time they hosted the Blades in a top-flight fixture 32 years ago.
- Luton Town have lost just once in six league outings since their fixture at Bournemouth was abandoned following captain Tom Lockyer’s cardiac arrest (W3 D2). They have won five and drawn three of their nine most recent games in all competitions.
- Sheffield United are yet to win after 11 Premier League away games (D2 L9) this term, their longest run from the beginning of a league campaign since a streak of 17 in 1993/94.
- Luton Town have scored 15 Premier League goals from set pieces this season, with only Arsenal (18) bettering the tally.
- Elijah Adebayo has scored five goals in his last five Premier League appearances, one more than he had managed in his first 18 games in the division. He can become the first Luton player to score in three consecutive top-flight matches since Mick Harford in 1992.
Player to Watch
Ben Brereton Diaz
Prediction
Luton Town 3-1 Sheffield United
Luton Town and Sheffield United were the odds-on favourites to go down to the EFL Championship when the season began. But they have embarked on vastly different campaigns, with the Hatters giving a good account of themselves and the Blades struggling to make a mark. So, Rob Edwards will feel his men have a golden opportunity to widen the gap to the drop zone, especially with Everton facing Manchester City on Saturday.
The Blades have conceded a league-high 11 goals in the opening 20 minutes of games this season, also doing so in the reverse. History should repeat itself this weekend, with Luton Town scoring another early strike against Sheffield United. But unlike the reverse fixture, a fightback will not be on the cards, with the away side only managing a consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat.