Sheffield United v West Ham United
Premier League, Bramall Lane, Sunday 21 January 2024, 2pm GMT
West Ham United head to South Yorkshire for the Club’s first away Premier League fixture of 2024, looking to bounce back to winning ways following Tuesday night’s disappointing Emirates FA Cup exit at the hands of Bristol City.
Sheffield United - who are currently bottom of the table and eight points adrift of safety - returned for a fourth crack at the Premier League at the start of this season, after finishing second in the EFL Championship last term.
However, the manager who led the club to promotion, Paul Heckingbottom, was removed at the start of December after a 5-0 defeat at Burnley left them at the foot of the standings.
Chris Wilder, who guided Sheffield United to the Premier League in 2018/19 and a ninth-place finish the following season before suffering relegation in 2020/21 - and had appointed Heckingbottom as U23s coach during his previous spell in charge - was brought in to replace him.
The former Blades right-back inspired his team to only a second win of the campaign in his second outing back in the dugout, against Brentford on 9 December, and he will be looking for a similar result here to help avoid an instant return to the second tier.
Tickets…
West Ham fans are advised that the Club’s allocation of 2,861 tickets have sold out.
The first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 26+ Loyalty Points. The remaining ten per cent (286 tickets) were then made available via a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. The ballot closed at 12pm on Thursday 28 December.
Travel…
A 9.30am service runs direct from London St Pancras to Sheffield, while a number of trains from Kings Cross require a change in Doncaster. Sheffield railway station is situated a mile from Bramall Lane and is walkable.
Alternatively, from Sheffield city centre you could take a blue or purple line tram to Granville Road (Sheffield College) and it is a ten-minute walk from there, or a number of local bus services will take you to the vicinity of the stadium.
If you are driving up from London, take the M1 to Junction 29 and take the A617 towards Chesterfield. Continue into Chesterfield and at the roundabout junction with the A61 take the third exit towards Sheffield. Continue on the A61 through Dronfield and into Sheffield, passing the Earl of Arundel and Surrey Public House on the left. Take the next left onto Bramall Lane and the ground is on the right.
Off-street parking can be found at one of the following locations: Atkinsons, Charter Row (S1 4HR), Eyre Street (S1 4QW), Furnival Gate, Matilda Way (S1 4QJ), Rockingham Way (S1 4JD) and Sidney Street (S1 4EG).
How To Follow…
West Ham United’s away Premier League match with Sheffield United has been selected for broadcast in the United Kingdom by TNT Sports.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio 5 Live and worldwide on our official website and app.
Team News…
Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paquetá and Michail Antonio were absent from West Ham United's squad for the FA Cup third-round replay away at Bristol City, as were midfield duo Edson Álvarez and Pablo Fornals. Each continues to be assessed by the Club.
Mohammed Kudus and Nayef Aguerd, meanwhile, are on international duty at CAF Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana and Morocco respectively.
Opposition…
Little over 30 years ago - in August 1992 - Sheffield United made history when Brian Deane scored the first ever Premier League goal, five minutes into a 2-1 win over Manchester United.
Despite their defeat at Bramall Lane, the Red Devils recovered to win the inaugural Premier League title and, in the three decades since, have been crowned champions on 12 further occasions.
For Sheffield United, however, victory over Alex Ferguson’s side proved to be something of a false dawn. While they finished a respectable 14th - of 22 - in 1992/93, Dave Bassett’s Blades were blunted the following season and, after a final-day defeat at Chelsea, relegated.
It would take until the 2006/07 season for Sheffield United to return to the Premier League, and again it ended in a dramatic relegation on the final day, this time confirmed by a home defeat by Wigan Athletic.
The Blades dropped into the third tier in 2011 and, after three near-misses in the Play-Offs, returned to the EFL Championship in 2017.
Former Sheffield United player Chris Wilder masterminded that promotion, then another to the Premier League in 2018/19, and a ninth-place finish - their best since 1991/92 - in 2019/20.
Wilder’s departure in March 2021 was followed by relegation two months later. Following that demotion, the man who replaced Wilder as interim manager - Paul Heckingbottom - returned to his previous role as the club’s U23 lead coach.
But, when the Blades parted ways with his replacement Slaviša Jokanović after just six months, Heckingbottom was handed the top job on a permanent basis, with the now 46-year-old signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.
Heckingbottom led Sheffield United to promotion last season, with a top-two place never in doubt following a run of eight wins in ten games either side of Christmas.
However, following eleven defeats in the team’s opening 14 games this term - and after a 5-0 loss to fellow promoted side Burnley that left the club bottom of the league - Heckingbottom became the first top-flight manager to be sacked this season, in early December.
Familiar face Wilder was duly reappointed to lead the fight against relegation, and after a respectable 2-0 defeat against title-challengers Liverpool on 6 December, a James McAtee strike earned a first win in over a month at home to Brentford in the side’s next outing.
Since then, they have failed to register a win in four league matches, though a 1-1 draw away at high-flyers Aston Villa on 22 December showed promise, and a 4-0 win over Gillingham in the Emirates FA Cup last time out will have provided a confidence boost.
The arrival of Ben Brereton Díaz on loan from Villarreal at the start of this month has added to Sheffield United’s firepower up front, and the former Blackburn star will be eager to open his goalscoring account for the club against the Hammers if he is available to play.
Previous Meetings…
The Hammers will be hoping to replicate their 2-0 victory over Sheffield United in the teams’ most recent meeting at London Stadium earlier this campaign, when first-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Tomáš Souček helped earn all three points in David Moyes’ 900th league game as a manager.
That result marked a third successive win over the Blades for West Ham, with Moyes’ charges having claimed the double over the South Yorkshiremen during the 2020/21 Premier League season.
A 1-0 win at Bramall Lane in November 2020 - secured thanks to Sébastien Haller’s finish on 56 minutes - was followed by a 3-0 win on home soil in February 2021. Declan Rice, Issa Diop and Ryan Fredericks got the goals that evening.
Overall, Sheffield United edge the head-to-head record with 38 wins from 92 clashes, with the Irons having come out on top on 33 occasions, and the spoils having been shared in 21 of the fixtures.
Match Officials…
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Assistant Referees: James Mainwaring and Richard West
Fourth Official: Darren Bond
VAR: Robert Jones
Assistant VAR: Dan Robathan
Michael Salisbury has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday’s trip north.
Salisbury has been part of the Select Group of Referees since the 2022/23 season and has officiated eight Premier League games so far this campaign, most recently refereeing Chelsea’s 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace at the end of December.
Two of those Premier League outings have involved the Hammers, with Salisbury taking charge of the Irons’ 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in November and the 2-1 victory away at Tottenham Hotspur in early December.
Salisbury also served as the Video Assistant Referee for the Hammers’ trips to AFC Bournemouth on the opening day of the 2023/24 campaign, and to Brentford in early November.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
