Both aiming to maintain their unbeaten status at the start of the second-tier term, Sheffield United and Watford will lock horns at Bramall Lane for a Championship battle on Sunday afternoon.
The Blades endured a shock defeat in the EFL Cup during the week, whilst the Hornets' excellent form continued with a routine success over a divisional rival.
Match preview
© Imago
After navigating four games across the Championship and the EFL Cup unbeaten, Sheffield United's final match of their August schedule ended in their first defeat of the 2024-25 season, with the Yorkshire giants exiting the cup at the hands of League One Barnsley on Tuesday night.
A much-changed Blades XI - littered with a host of academy starlets - dominated proceedings in terms of possession against the Tykes but failed to make the net ripple over the course of 90 minutes, with 25-year-old striker Max Watters scoring the only goal of the contest for Barnsley.
Focusing on purely Championship matters for the moment, Sheffield United have been relatively solid on their return to this level following a one-year stay in the Premier League, with Sunday's hosts collecting five points from their opening three matches, including a share of the spoils at Carrow Road last weekend.
A 22nd-minute opener from Norwich City's Joshua Sargent threatened to condemn the Blades to their maiden defeat of the 2024-25 campaign, although they responded brilliantly in East Anglia, where promising midfielder Oliver Arblaster restored parity in the game to ultimately snatch a point.
Looking to bounce back to the top flight of English football at the first attempt, Sheffield United have recruited a host of players on loan from the Premier League over the summer, including Chelsea wonderkid Alfie Gilchrist and Crystal Palace star Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
![Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/tom-cleverley.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]")
© Imago
Following a concerning pre-season run which included losses to Wycombe Wanderers, Reading and Gillingham, Watford have strung together a five-game winning spell across the Championship and the EFL Cup to clinch the title of the most in-form club heading towards the international break.
Restricted to a bench brief for the majority of the second-tier to date, Mileta Rajovic was the star of the show on Tuesday night at Vicarage Road, where the Hornets marksman netted a brilliant double to ensure his side's passage through to the third round of the EFL Cup at the expense of Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle.
That success over the Pilgrims rounded off an exceptional fortnight for Watford at their Hertfordshire base, with Sunday's visitors winning four straight home contests, following on from a thrilling 3-2 triumph on the opening day of the Championship campaign at Neil Harris's Millwall.
After netting just five goals during 36 appearances for the Hornets over the course of the 2023-24 season, midfielder Edo Kayembe has transformed into a goalscoring sensation so far this summer, with the 26-year-old's three goals meaning that he only trails West Bromwich Albion forward Josh Maja in the second-tier's Golden Boot race.
Taking charge of his first full campaign as a professional manager, former Manchester United and England stalwart Tom Cleverley has to take plenty of the plaudits for Watford's impressive beginning to a campaign that many suggested would result in mid-table mediocrity for the Hornets.
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Team News
![Jack Robinson of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match Preston North End vs Sheffield United at Deepdale, Preston, United Kingdom, August 9, 2024 [on August 11, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/jack-robinson.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Jack Robinson of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match Preston North End vs Sheffield United at Deepdale, Preston, United Kingdom, August 9, 2024 [on August 11, 2024]")
© Imago
Sheffield United are still waiting to hand Jamie Shackleton his debut for the club, with the summer arrival recovering from a knee injury.
The Blades are now unable to call upon the talents of Femi Seriki, who featured in the wins over Wrexham and Preston North End earlier this month before picking up a leg injury.
After the defeat to third-tier Barnsley on Tuesday night, Wilder should promote some of his star names back into the first XI, including Gustavo Hamer and Harrison Burrows, but Auston Trusty has now joined Celtic.
Forced off just 24 minutes into the victory over Plymouth last time out, Imran Louza is expected to be sidelined until late September with a leg issue.
Following his brace in the EFL Cup, there will be calls for Rajovic to earn a Championship start, although Cleverley is set to go with Vakoun Bayo up front for the trip to Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gilchrist, Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Burrows; Brooks, Arblaster, De Souza Costa, Hamer, O'Hare; Moore
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Pollock, Sierralta, Morris; Andrews, Sissoko, Dele-Bashiru, Larouci; Kayembe, Chakvetadze; Bayo
We say: Sheffield United 2-1 Watford
Sheffield United, despite winning just one of their first three matches, are one of the deadliest sides in the Championship this season and will fancy their chances of picking up a win at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Victorious in all of their competitive matches so far, Watford are in a good vein of form, but we believe that positive spell will end in Yorkshire this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
