SHEFFIELD UNITED fans must be pinching themselves when they look at the Premier League table and see the Blades sitting fifth, just one place behind champions Manchester City.
But while it's a surprise to have the Blades riding so high on their return to the top flight, it's certainly no fluke as Chris Wilder's men are well worth their lofty status.
What has impressed me most about Sheffield United this season is that they have managed to amass points while playing stylish football, following the Bournemouth blueprint for survival rather than one drawn up by Neil Warnock.
They outplayed Spurs for long spells in London on their last outing before the international break and a point was the least they deserved.
That 1-1 draw made it five games unbeaten for the Blades and they haven't lost since an unlucky 1-0 home defeat to league leaders Liverpool.
Wilder's side have more than held their own against the big boys of the Premier League so they will hold no fears about the visit of Manchester United.
In addition to drawing with Spurs, Sheffield United have also held Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, beaten Arsenal at Bramall Lane and won 2-0 at Goodison against Everton.
Given that form, I'm surprised to see the Blades as big as 14/5 with Betfair for a win over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, who are a best 6/5 with Bet365. Those odds on a home win look generous, although it may be safer to back Sheffield United in the double chance market at 77/100, offering the insurance of a draw.
The bookies have Manchester United as favourites because Solskjaer's side finally rediscovered their swagger in the two games before the international break.
I thought a poor Partizan Belgrade team would be whipping boys for United in the Europa League, offering the Old Trafford attack a chance to boost their confidence.
That's how it turned out, with Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford all on target on a 3-0 win, bringing up two of my tips that night.
Rashford netted again in the 3-1 league win over Brighton, a match Solskjaer's side could have won more comfortably, and also impressed on international duty with England, scoring against both Montenegro and Kosovo.
He has nine goals in his last 10 games for club and country so Rashford could be worth a punt for anytime scorer here at 39/20 with Unibet.
But while United have impressed in their last two games, both of those matches were at Old Trafford and their away form in the Premier League has been terrible.
Their only win in six road trips on league business came against a Norwich side in dismal form so I don't share the bookies' confidence in a United victory.
The Blades will be without keeper Dean Henderson, who is on loan from Old Trafford and can't face his parent club. Defender John Egan is also a doubt after coming off injured for Ireland in their 1-1 draw with Denmark. If he fails to make it then it will be a big blow.
Manchester United's Scott McTominay, arguably their best player all season, missed out on joining up with Scotland squad after picking up an injury against Brighton. The midfielder is expected to start here though and that would be a big boost for Solskjaer, with key man Paul Pogba still missing.
I can see this game being quite tight so backing the score to be level at half-time appeals at 27/25 with Marathonbet. It could be similar to Arsenal's visit to Bramall Lane, with a few meaty challenges flying in. There were eight cards that night so I'll be backing over 3.5 cards here at 4/5 with Bet365.
Lys Mousset netted the winner against the Gunners and could be the best shout for a Sheffield United scorer here. The Frenchman is 3/1 with Bet365 to net at anytime which seems pretty generous.
This English Premier League match between Sheffield United and Manchester United will be played on Nov 24, 2019 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Sheffield United vs Manchester United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
