Wolves and Sheffield United stick to strengths to disrupt Premier League elite

Saturday’s 3-0 win over Chelsea was the latest in a string of impressive results for Sheffield United since promotion to the Premier League last summer. Victory moved Chris Wilder’s side up to sixth in the Premier League standings, at least until Wolves leapfrogged them on Sunday by beating Everton by the same score line.

Fortunately for both of these clubs, though, Tottenham’s victory over Arsenal later that day extended the gap between themselves and eighth place with three games remaining. Both teams face tricky trips to top-four contenders before the season’s end, with the Blades at Leicester on Thursday before Wolves travel to Chelsea on the final day. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that either side would have been disappointed with this scenario 11 months ago.

Having watched Nuno Espirito Santo lead Wolves on a similar journey a year ago, many will claim that the Portuguese has offered a blueprint to the Blades on how to transform directly from Championship challengers to European hopefuls. However, such a statement would do a disservice to the style of play that Wilder has cultivated in Yorkshire.

What do they do?

Granted, there are similarities. Both sides operate with three central defenders and are solid in defence. Neither side are eager to dominate possession, instead opting to attack in numbers when the opportunity arises. Despite this Espirito Santo’s outfit have managed ten more league goals this term. Spearheaded by the prolific Raúl Jiménez with support on the wing from the revelatory Adama Traoré (read more about their partnership here), the Black Country side average 12.3 shots per league game. This tally is higher than both Tottenham’s (12.1) and Arsenal’s (10.9), and well above that of Sheffield United (9.5).

After a seventh-place finish in 2018/19, it would appear that Wolves have accepted the mantle of top-half contenders and relish the opportunity to once again impose themselves on the established order. After a slow start to season that saw them go the six opening games without a win, they have climbed table with minimum of fuss.

The win over Everton was a rare example of them enjoying this status and bossing possession. Jiménez’s penalty gave them the lead shortly before the break and after that the result was in little doubt; Wolves have only failed to win once all season after having taken the lead. They doubled their advantage seconds after half time and then, just as the visitors were making headway, Rúben Neves’ superb pass found Diogo Jota. The Portuguese forward had spurned a chance to make in 3-0 moments earlier but made no such mistake this time, rifling the ball beyond Jordan Pickford. A similar move provided another chance five minutes from time, but Traoré contrived to fire against the crossbar from Jota’s cutback.

While Wolves’ main attacking thrust comes from their front three, and Traoré in particular, Sheffield United instead pose a threat from various areas, making them tricky to track. In particular, Wilder has gained praise for insisting that his central defenders, as well as the full backs, take turns to push forward and join the attack. Striker David McGoldrick’s goals against Chelsea were his first in the Premier League this season. During the game the Blades saw just 23.7% of the ball but still managed nine shots on goal (roughly their average). Interestingly, though, the whole team completed nine dribbles to Chelsea’s six, with centre back Jack O’Connell leading the way for his side with two.

That result means that neither the Blues, nor fellow London sides Arsenal and Tottenham, have managed a league win against the Blades this season. All three have fallen to defeat at Bramall Lane and surrendered the lead on home turf to draw. Wolves, interesting, lost to all three London sides at home but took points away to all three. However, Espirito Santo’s men also managed two draws against Manchester United, while they became just the second side ever to beat Pep Guardiola home and away in the same league campaign, recording two wins over Manchester City.

What happens when Sheffield United and Wolves meet?

Wolves met the Blades as recently as Wednesday at Bramall Lane. To say that they were put to the sword would be too strong a statement, but they certainly left with tails hanging between their legs after John Egan’s late header secured a 1-0 win for Sheffield United.

The hosts ceded possession to Espirito Santo’s side but still managed seven shots to the visitors’ six. It is noticeable that all seven attempts came from different Blades players; in contrast, four of Wolves’ efforts came from Neves, three of which were taken from outside the box. Typical of the visitors, nine of their 23 attempted dribbles were by Traoré, although fewer than half were completed. Typical of the hosts, meanwhile, midfielder Sander Berge attempted four and centre back Chris Basham three.

While Wilder’s men only just took the points thanks to Egan’s late header, the fact they sent more shots at Rui Patricio’s goal reflects their ability to make opportunities with efficiency and variety.

What happens when the game follows a different pattern?

United’s win over Wolves was only their second following the restart, and was much needed. After a goalless draw at Aston Villa on June 17th, they suffered a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle in a game notable for its anomalies. This was a rare case in which the Blades boasted more possession that their opponents (54%), despite a red card for Egan in the 50th minute with the game still level. His dismissal left Basham as the only regular member of the back three; indeed, he was the only one to attempt a dribble too.

Neither Egan nor O’Connell were able to play in the following game at Manchester United, either. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was also unavailable due to the terms of his loan deal, and none of the three centre backs even attempted a dribble in another 3-0 loss.

Besides their defeat at Bramall Lane, Wolves have only dropped points once since the restart. In a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal they more possession (52%) and came up against an unfamiliar 3-4-3 formation that mirrored their own. Traoré attempted eight dribbles but completed only half. Meanwhile, the Gunners won 29 of their 35 attempted tackles (83%) compared to Wolves’ 13 from 21 (62%).

What happens next?

As aforementioned, Sheffield United travel to an out-of-form Leicester on Thursday before welcoming Everton as they chase a fifth successive home league win. They then end the season at Southampton, who currently have the second-worst home record in the Premier League. Wilder will deny it, but his side stands a good chance of retaining their spot in seventh at least.

Wolves have it harder. They travel to Burnley and Chelsea, as well as hosting Crystal Palace next weekend. They faced all three outfits in their winless run at the start of the season and will need better results in the reverse fixtures. Palace, though, are mathematically safe from relegation and have lost five in a row. Against the Eagles and Burnley, they are likely to have more possession. Should they cope with that as they did against Everton, they will be in a good place ahead of their final showdown with Chelsea, whom they currently trail by five points.

Both sides have stuck to their system this season and have been rewarded with success. Wolves will return to European football in August when the Europa League resumes, but they have the opportunity to do so in the knowledge that they will be Champions League participants next term anyway. As for Sheffield United, they could follow in their footsteps and achieve a top seven finish in their first season after promotion. The finish line is in sight. Will each of their systems, similar in some ways but ultimately unique, see them through?

*Stats via WhoScored