MANCHESTER CITY kickstarted their title defence at Goodison Park on Wednesday night and will now be looking to end 2023 on a high by putting struggling Sheffield United to the sword in what looks like a Premier League mismatch.
Having confirmed their status as the best team on the planet by lifting the Club World Cup, it was back to domestic duty for Pep Guardiola's side as they visited in-form Everton in midweek.
A run of just one win in six Premier League matches had seen the champions drop out of the top four and it looked like their slump would continue when the Toffees took the lead. But they showed their class after the break to win 3-1 on a night when Slips Tips got more joy with his bet builders.
That has left Manchester City five points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand and most people are now expecting Pep Guardiola's men to put their foot down as they concentrate on returning to the summit.
It's hard to hold out much hope for rock-bottom Sheffield United after watching them crash 3-2 at home to relegation rivals Luton Town on Tuesday in a game where two bets landed for our man Gabriel.
But Chris Wilder can take some heart from the fact they drew with high-flying Aston Villa on their last Premier League road trip and were only denied victory by a last-gasp leveller.
The Bladed boss will probably use the same game plan at the Etihad but if Man City hit their stride then only the most optimistic of fans will be confident of keeping them at bay.
How the bookies view it
Sheffield United have been written off and are as big as 40/1 with BetMGM for a shock Etihad win. Manchester City's best price is just 1/12 at Coral and even the draw is huge at 14/1 with VBet.
Recent head to head
Sheffield United knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup in 2008 but have lost every meeting since then, with Manchester City winning six in a row. For their last win against City in Manchester, you have to go all the way back to 1987. The Blades did push the champions close earlier this season, though, with Rodri scoring a late winner in a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane.
Players to watch
Phil Foden is now on double figures for the season after following up his strike in the Club World Cup Final with another cracker against Everton. The winger is a huge threat and Bet365 price him at 13/10 for another goal here.
Cameron Archer has been a shrewd signing for Sheffield United and scored their goal in that draw with Aston Villa. The forward is 15/2 at Paddy Power to grab another goal at the Etihad while Unibet have him at 9/5 just to have a shot on target.
Anything else catch the eye?
Wilder will probably set his side up to defend deep so that should lead to plenty of Manchester City corners. Aston Villa won 9-1 on the corner count when Sheffield United visited so try backing City -6 in the corner handicap at 23/20 with Unibet.
Guardiola's side didn't concede a goal in their two Club World Cup games but you have to go back to October for their last clean sheet in the Premier League. That makes me think a City win with BTTS might stand a chance here at 11/5 with Betway.
Stats bets are another good option and I'm tempted by the 49/50 on offer at Unibet for Bernardo Silva to have a shot on target, given he scored in midweek. The same firm also price over 9.5 match shots on target at evens and that could be worth a look.
This English Premier League match between Manchester City and Sheffield United will be played on Dec 30, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester City vs Sheffield United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Julian Alvarez shot on target