Manchester City may have won the Club World Cup, but they still seem somewhat stuck in the mud as they host last-place Sheffield United in Premier League to close out the 2023 calendar year.
Pep Guardiola is dealing with something he hasn’t had to sort through much over the past few seasons — injuries, which are starting to pile up.
Man City will be without John Stones for some time due to an ankle injury suffered last time out against Everton, adding to the recent woes. Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, is dealing with “fatigue” as he makes his comeback after several months out.
Erling Haaland remains sidelined with his foot issue, and Jeremy Doku had a muscle problem sideline him just as the Belgian was rounding into form.
They will hope a date with basement dwellers Sheffield United will provide some respite, as the Blades continue to find new ways to drop points and deepen their relegation woes.
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Man City vs Sheffield United match facts
- Date: Saturday, December 30, 2023
- Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. local (10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT)
- Location: Etihad Stadium (Manchester, England)
- Official: David Coote
- Last meeting: Sheffield United 1-2 Man City (Aug. 27, 2023 | Premier League)
Man City vs Sheffield United prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Man City (-1200)
- Score prediction: Man City 3-1 Sheffield United
In a matchup between the defending champions and the last-placed side, there’s very few openings in the betting market thanks to the perceived mismatch.
Man City haven’t looked their best, but they showed signs of a turnaround in the second half against Everton last time out, and against a Sheffield United side which has conceded the most shots of any Premier League club this season, there will be plenty of opportunities for them to find the goals necessary for victory.
| Man City win |
Draw | Sheff. Utd win |
Both teams to score Y / N |
Over / Under 3.5 goals |
MCI -2.5 |
SHU +2.5 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings (USA) |
-1200 | +1200 | +2200 | +150 / -190 | -125 / -105 | -135 | +100 |
Man City vs Sheffield United best bet
- Pick: Highest scoring half — 2H
- Odds: -110 (DraftKings)
Manchester City have been forced to change their outlook on matches, used to running up the score on inferior opponents as they dominated the English top flight in recent years. Yet as the injuries pile up in the attacking third, they’ve tried to grind games out in the absence of their best chance creators and finishers.
It’s caused Man City to play out some wonky matches, with the defensive side suffering from lapses in concentration as the squad looks to cope with the new approach. Indeed, Ederson hasn’t kept a clean sheet in domestic play since the Manchester derby in late October.
That has been a constant theme in recent weeks. They nearly reached halftime scoreless against Urawa Red Diamonds in the Club World Cup semifinal only for a late own-goal to give them an advantage at the break, and they held halftime scorelines of just 1-0 against Crystal Palace, 1-0 against Red Star Belgrade, 0-1 at Luton Town and 0-0 against Aston Villa since the start of December.
They seem to figure it out after the break, but the opening 45 minutes for Man City have been a slog since the squad suffered some upheaval.
Man City vs Sheffield United prop bet
- Pick: Bernardo Silva to score or assist a goal
- Odds: -130 (FanDuel)
With Erling Haaland absent due to injury, the goal contributions leader for Man City is, understandably, Julian Alvarez, with a combined 10 goals and assists leading to -270 odds for the Argentine to add to his tally. Yuck.
Behind him is Phil Foden (nine goal contributions, -175 odds), and right there with him is Bernardo Silva. With five goals and four assists this season, Bernardo has been one of Man City’s most important and consistent players, flying under the radar thanks to the fanfare around Rodri as well as the more prominent attacking players.
Yet it’s Bernardo who leads the squad with 4.73 expected assists (xA), and has scored an incredible five goals on just 1.71 expected goals (xG), proving his value in both departments. Sporting much more palatable odds, Bernardo presents an opportunity to cash in on the potent Man City attack against a defensive sieve in Sheffield United with plenty of opportunities to go around.