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United opened their campaign last week with a 2-0 defeat by Wolves, so they will similarly be keen to get their first points on the board.
39 mins: Things are going from bad to worse for Chris Wilder’s men. It was a good save from Martinez on debut. Matt Targett picked up a yellow card for giving away the penalty.
But, there is a sliver of hope that the Blades can catch Villa on the counter attack.
36 mins: SAVE! After a lengthy VAR check to confirm the penalty, Emi Martinez dives to his right and saves the penalty from John Lundstram!
33 mins: The Blades counter attack quickly as Lundstram sends the ball up to Oli Burke. He skirts the edge of the box and feeds it into the area. Basham comes in on the overlap catches Targett out and the Villa defender trips him up.
30 mins: David McGoldrick is sacrificed as Ethan Ampadu comes on for Sheffield United as Chris Wilder brings on another player to defend.
27 mins: Sheffield United failed to win any of the previous 10 Premier League games in which they received a red card. They probably won’t win this one either but the question is, can Aston Villa?
They’ve built up a lot of pressure on the Sheffield United defence but Aaron Ramsdale hasn’t had a whole lot to do between the sticks.
24 mins: Douglas Luiz sends a header from Trezeguet’s knock down straight at the Blades goalkeeper and Aaron Ramsdale makes an easy save.
21 mins: This will be an interesting game now for Aston Villa. Dean Smith has brought in Ollie Watkins, he’s got Jack Grealish and Trezeguet and the Blades are down to 10-men.
Villa are expected to win now but do they have the firepower to break down Sheffield United?
18 mins: Villa are piling the pressure on. The Blades are committing too many fouls, giving away too many set pieces.
Hourihane whips a free kick into the box from the left and O’Connell gets a glancing header to the ball to put it wide of the far post.
15 mins: The Blades are down to 10-men but they win a free kick over on the wide right. Lundstram whips it in and Hourihane heads it out for a corner.
Lundstram takes his time with the corner and Martinez comes off his line and decisively punches it away.
12 mins: John Egan has been sent off! A hoofed long ball up field catches Sheffield United short and Egan grabs Ollie Watkins and holds him back long enough for Aaron Ramsdale to come out and kick the ball away.
Graham Scott rules that Egan has denied Watkins a goal scoring opportunity and pulls out the red. VAR takes a look but doesn’t overturn the decision.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: John Egan of Sheffield United holds back Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and is later shown a red card following a VAR review during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Sheffield United at Villa Park on September 21, 2020 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
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