West Ham will look to end their two-game slump against in-form Sheffield United.
The Blades recorded an impressive home victory over Arsenal on Monday night. This was another one of Chris Wilder’s great team performances and he will look to put pressure on a West Ham side that looked abject last week.
Manuel Pellegrini said that he would’ve taken all of his players off at half-time against Everton. He needs his side to up their commitment if they are going to overcome a stern test in Sheffield United.
Sheffield United will come to the London Stadium fearless. Wilder’s tactics see his centre-backs press high when attacking, so West Ham will come under periods of pressure. As shown against Everton, this is the type of play that they shy away from.
Whilst West Ham got it tactically wrong against Everton, the defence held firm for a large portion of the game. Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop have proven themselves as first-choice centre-backs, both complimenting each other’s attributes.
Against Sheffield United, West Ham will find themselves under the cosh at times. They need to be resolute in defence but lightening in the counter, exposing Wilder’s attacking philosophy.
This is where I think the key battles will be:
