The Red Devils started the year with a bang by dismissing their rivals Swansea City 2-1 in a tightly-contested fixture. Wayne Rooney and Anthony martial scored the two crucial goals for the hosts, and they will hope to replicate the same performance, or even better, when they host Sheffield United at Old Trafford.
Love the FA Cup. Looking forward to the 3rd tomorrow against Sheffield United #mufc
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) January 8, 2016
Man United are hoping to win the FA Cup, a trophy that has eluded them since 2004. Although Sheffield Utd come into this fixture as the underdogs, one cannot rule out their possibility of upsetting the Premier League giants. In the recent years, the Reds have failed to win against lowly-ranked sides such as MK Dons and Middlesbrough, something that gives their weekend opponents the much-needed confidence ahead of this fixture.
Additionally, since January 2014, the League One side have beaten former and current Premier League sides such as Aston Villa, Fulham, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United.
Luis Van Gaal is hoping that his men will not set their foot off the pedal when the Blades come calling. Defender Chris Smalling also confirmed the same in an interview with MUTV:
"We’ve tried to work hard on the training pitch.’’
"December was a poor month and it’s a great feeling to get that win. I think, especially in the last couple of games, we’ve fought hard and we need to kick on like we did today.’’
"As players, we knew we had to stop that run and get on the front foot. We did that today (against Swansea) and then, in the second half, they tired because we really did press them. It was a good start to the year and we can’t afford any more slip-ups now, so we need to make sure we keep playing like this."
Before meeting Manchester United, Sheffield United lost 3-2 to Peterborough, consequently ending their four-match winning streak, which was their eight in the League One. In their FA Cup journey this season, they have already dismissed Worcester City 3-0 and their League One opponents Oldham Athletic 1-0 at the Bramall Lane.
Our last game against Sheffield United was a 2-0 home win in 2007... https://t.co/1nO32qtnak
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 8, 2016
Team news
Manchester United
Jesse Lingard could return to the starting lineup after picking up a hamstring injury against Bournemouth back in December. Phil Jones and Ashley Young are doubtful ahead of this fixture, but could pass a late fitness test. Marco Rojo, Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw are long-term absentees.
Schneiderlin, Carrick and Young all rested for #mufc and not in squad vs Sheffield United.
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) January 8, 2016
Sheffield United
Midfielder Matt Done could return after missing the clash against Peterborough due to injury. However, manager Nigel Adkins could rotate his squad given the fact that his men are in play-off contention and are set to visit Wigan Athletic three days after their trip to Old Trafford. The lethal Billy Sharp is set to lead the hunt for goals for the Blades, having scored 11 goals this season, including four in their last four games.
The lads board the team coach to @ManUtd . #emiratesfacup #magicofthecup pic.twitter.com/8wdCQOQrjI
— Sheffield United (@SUFC_tweets) January 8, 2016
Which channel is broadcasting Manchester United vs Sheffield United on TV or Online?
- USA: on SiriusXM FC and various Fox Sports channels
- Canada: on Sportsnet World Now and Sportsnet World
- UK: on BBC Radio 5 Live and various BT Sport channels
To watch Manchester United vs Sheffield United live in the USA, tune in to SiriusXM FC, Fox Deportes, Fox Soccer 2GO USA, Fox Sports GO or Fox Sports 2 USA at 12:30 EST. In Canada, catch the FA Cup action live on Sportsnet World Now and Sportsnet World at 12:30 EST. In the UK, tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live, BT Sport Ultra HD or BT Sport 2 at 17:30 GMT to watch Man Utd vs Sheffield Utd live on January 9, 2015. From any other country across the world, visit our live broadcast page for additional broadcast information:
*NOTE: Live broadcast data is subject to change
Head to head
The two sides met in the third-round of the FA Cup in 1994 and 1995 on January 9, the same date as today’s fixture. The Red Devils won 1-0 and 2-0 respectively, hence dismissing their opponents with a 3-0 aggregate. Adkins also faced Man Utd in the FA Cup as Southampton manager in 2011, but the 20-time Premier League champions emerged victorious thanks to goals from Michael Owen and Javier Hernandez.
Team sheets for Manchester United vs Sheffield United
Manchester United: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schweinsteiger,Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Martial, Rooney
Sheffield United: Long, Brayford, Basham, Coutts, Sharp, Collins, Woolford, Sammon, McEveley, Edgar, Hammond
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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