Premier League 2019/20: Manchester United vs Sheffield United – tactical analysis

Manchester United came to this game with an impressive 12-game unbeaten run. Their last defeat was when they hosted Burnley in the Premier League back in January. Oppositely, Sheffield United was not in a good form. They marked their return after the league suspension with a 0–3 defeat against Newcastle United. Even worse, regular centre-backs John Egan and Jack O’Connell couldn’t play in this match due to a red card and an injury respectively.

Without their first-choice defenders, Chris Wilder had to rely on Jack Robinson and veteran Phil Jagielka at the back. For a fact, both of them have only played less than 500 league minutes combined in this season. No wonder why Anthony Martial came home with a match ball and a huge smile, as he bagged his first-ever career hattrick. Without further ado, this tactical analysis will inform you how the match unfolded.

Lineups

Ole Gunnar Solskjær chose the 4–2–3–1 shape for his team. David de Gea was supported by the duo of Victor Lindelöf and Harry Maguire in the heart of United’s defence. In the engine room, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes made their long-awaited duet debut with Nemanja Matić supporting as a defensive midfielder. Upfront, talisman Martial led the frontline alongside Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford. Names like Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira, Daniel James, Odion Ighalo, and Scott McTominay had to start the game from the bench.

On the opposite side, Wilder set his team up in his preferred 5–3–2 shape. George Baldock and Enda Stevens started as the wing-back pairing. The midfield line was filled with John Lundstram, Oliver Norwood, and John Fleck. The duo of Lys Mousset and David McGoldrick was chosen to spearhead Sheffield’s attacking line. In their dugout, there were names like Sander Berge, Oliver McBurnie, and Richairo Živković.