Second meets third in a critical battle in the race for Premier League promotion on Easter Monday, as Burnley welcome Sheffield United to Turf Moor in the Championship.
Scott Parker's Clarets eked out a 2-1 triumph over nine-man Watford on Good Friday to maintain a five-point advantage over the Blades, who kept themselves in the top-two hunt by beating Cardiff City 2-0.
Match preview
© Imago
Losing their way ever so slightly on the defensive front, a Burnley side renowned for their unrivalled clean sheet feats have now conceded in three of their last four Championship games after Mamadou Doumbia's surprise opener for Watford on April 18.
However, Parker's men stung the nine-man Hornets back twice as hard through a pair of Zian Flemming and Josh Brownhill headers either side of the half-time whistle, meaning that the Clarets are now just 90 minutes away from their seemingly inevitable top-flight return.
Five points ahead of upcoming visitors Sheffield United with just three games remaining, Parker's side will clinch automatic promotion with a win on Easter Monday, while simultaneously sending Leeds United up with them if the Whites can overcome Stoke City.
Burnley may not be keeping clean sheets every single weekend anymore, but the hosts' extraordinary unbeaten league run in the now stands at a magnificent 30 games; they are only the second team to ever avoid defeat in 30 consecutive Championship matches after the Reading crop from 2005-06.
Furthermore, Parker's men still have their unbeaten home record intact and are unsurprisingly the only team yet to lose a Championship game on their own turf this term, although a few too many draws at Turf Moor - nine to be exact - have prevented them from overhauling Leeds at the summit for now.
© Imago
While Burnley may have been lamenting stalemates, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was left to rue a devastating three successive defeats in the Championship from April 5 to April 12, as Oxford United, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle put serious dents in their top-two aspirations.
The shock loss at Home Park preceded full-time pandemonium in the tunnel between Wilder and other members of playing/coaching staff, but the 57-year-old cut a calmer figure on Good Friday, when the third-placed Blades got back on track at home to Cardiff City.
Gustavo Hamer's opener and Ben Brereton Diaz's late clincher ensured that Sheffield United will not be finishing the campaign any lower than third, but defeat on Monday will consign them to the playoffs, and even a point would virtually take them out of the automatic promotion equation.
Clashes with fellow Premier League hopefuls have been the visitors' kryptonite all season long, though, as Wilder's men have failed to win any of their five games against other clubs in the top four, taking just the one point from 15 on offer.
Furthermore, Sheffield United were slain 2-0 by Burnley at Bramall Lane on Boxing Day and have now been beaten in each of their last four league meetings with the Clarets; therefore, if history tells us anything, the Turf Moor faithful should spend their Easter weekend planning a promotion party.
Team News
© Imago
The Burnley medical team are still nursing a few infirm troops back to health, as Bashir Humphreys (unspecified), Aaron Ramsey (knee), Mike Tresor (unspecified) and Benson Manuel (Achilles) remain on the sidelines.
No fresh concerns arose during Friday's victory at Vicarage Road, though, and with so much at stake in this one game alone, Parker should not offer any respite to his regular starters.
Indeed, the same XI from the Watford win should take to the field from the first whistle here too, as captain and midfield maestro Brownhill goes in search of his 15th goal of the Championship season.
On Sheffield United's end, goalscorer Hamer could not complete the win over Cardiff on Good Friday - being taken off with an unspecified blow in the 85th minute - but there have been no reports of the midfielder sustaining something sinister.
Wilder should therefore have Hamer at his disposal for the trip to Turf Moor, which would leave Oliver Arblaster (ACL) and Jamie Shackleton (foot) as his only two absentees for this season-defining contest.
Now boasting seven goal involvements from 16 Championship games since his loan return in January - four of his own and three assists - Southampton-owned Brereton Diaz may have played his way into the first XI over Rhian Brewster.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Trafford; Roberts, Esteve, Egan-Riley, Pires; Cullen, Brownhill; Edwards, Hannibal, Anthony; Flemming
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Choudhury, Holding, Ahmedhodzic, Burrows; Souza, Peck; Rak-Sakyi, Brereton Diaz, Hamer; Campbell
We say: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United
Huffing and puffing will be the name of the game for Sheffield United on Monday night, where the Blades may take slight encouragement from Burnley keeping just the one clean sheet in four games.
However, Parker's dogged defence has conceded just six goals at home all season long, and we have faith in the Clarets to also capitalise on the visitors' recent frailties on the road to make their promotion dreams a reality.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
