Arsenal vs Sheffield United: Team news, match facts and prediction

Arsenal will know they must beat Sheffield United before beginning a horror run of fixtures after the international break.

The visit of the Blades will come before facing Manchester City, Leicester City and Manchester United, having lost to Liverpool last time out.

Sheffield United have endured a tough start to the season, though, with zero points and zero goals, but have just broken their club-transfer fee to sign the exciting, though unproven, Rhian Brewster.

Arsenal are a far more impressive team since Mikel Arteta’s arrival, though remain a work in progress. Sheffield United, meanwhile, have really struggled since the start of the season.

Rhian Brewster is a good buy for Chris Weler but has still not played a single minute of Premier League football. The Gunners should win this.

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal will recall last season’s top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was one of several key players rested against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

Sheffield United remain without Simon Moore and Lys Mousset, but John Egan is back after completing a one-game ban.

His return is timely as fellow defender Jack O’Connell is ruled out.

The Englishman will be missing for approximately six months following knee surgery.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal are winless in their past three league games against Sheffield United (D1, L2), with their most recent victory in 2006 – although they did beat them in an FA Cup quarter-final in June.
• The Blades have gone 10 league matches without a victory away to Arsenal since beating them 1-0 at Highbury in August 1971 (D2, L8).

Arsenal

• Arsenal have not lost a Premier League home game in 2020, a run of 10 matches since defeat by Chelsea on 29 December (W8, D2).
• The Gunners have only failed to score in three of their past 72 home league fixtures, with each of those blanks coming against Manchester City.
• They are unbeaten in their last 40 home league matches against sides starting the day in the relegation zone (W38, D2), with their last such defeat coming against West Ham in April 2007.
• Since Mikel Arteta took charge in December, Arsenal have lost 18 points from winning positions – more than any other top-flight team in that period.
• The Gunners have scored with a third of their Premier League shots this season (six of 18, excluding blocks), with only Leicester (48%) boasting a better shot conversion rate.

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Sheffield United

• Sheffield United have failed to score in each of their opening three league games for the first time in their history.
• The only occasion they began a top-flight season with four defeats was in 1966.
• A seventh consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday would equal their longest losing streak in the top flight, set between August and September 1975.
• The Blades’ last league win away to one of the established top-six teams was a 2-1 victory at Liverpool in April 1994.

PREDICTION: 2-0