Sheffield United v Arsenal – BBC Sport

Dean Henderson was ineligible for Sheffield United against parent club Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday

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Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson and defender John Egan are available for the Blades’ FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal.

Defender Jack O’Connell has missed all three games since football resumed but could feature after injury.

Arsenal defender David Luiz is available after a ban, but Bernd Leno, Calum Chambers and Gabriel Martinelli are all out with knee injuries.

Lucas Torreira and Pablo Mari (ankle) are out and Cedric Soares is a doubt.

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

Sheffield United do not look like they have got a goal in them at the moment.

The Blades are just not playing as well as they were earlier in the season, but maybe the fact they are playing Arsenal might help them out.

Arsenal are just a mess at the moment, and this is a situation that has been coming for a while.

Some people point the blame at former manager Arsene Wenger, but I don’t agree with that. Even his worst Gunners team would beat this current Arsenal side, easily.

There just seems a total lack of a cohesive plan at the club when it comes to things like scouting, recruitment and contracts, and I feel sorry for manager Mikel Arteta, because none of it is his fault.

Since Wenger has gone, there has been a scattergun approach – and it has not worked.

As for this tie, I am going for the Blades to win on penalties, but Arsenal’s problems will not be over by a long shot even if they do get through.

Prediction: 1-1 after extra time – Sheffield United to win on penalties.

Lawro’s full predictions v Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer co-host Alex Horne

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

  • Sheffield United and Arsenal last met in the FA Cup in March 2005 in a fifth-round replay; after a goalless draw, the Gunners won 4-2 on penalties at Bramall Lane.
  • Arsenal have won just one of their past eight away matches against Sheffield United in all competitions (D4 L3), a 3-0 win in October 2007 in the League Cup.
  • Arsenal have gone on to win the FA Cup in three of the six seasons they have knocked out Sheffield United (1935-36, 2002-03 and 2004-05).

Sheffield United

  • Sheffield United last played in an FA Cup quarter-final in 2013-14 as a League One side, winning 2-0 against Charlton Athletic to progress to that season’s semi-final, where they lost 5-3 to Hull City.
  • Sheffield United’s six FA Cup goals this season have been scored by different players (Robinson, Clarke, Besic, Norwood, McGoldrick, Sharp); they last had more scorers in a season back in 2013-14 (nine).
  • This is Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder’s 35th match as a manager in the FA Cup proper but only his second against a Premier League side – the Blades lost 1-0 to Leicester City in the fifth round in 2017-18.

Arsenal

  • Arsenal have progressed from 13 of their past 15 FA Cup quarter-final matches, losing in this run in 2010-11 against Manchester United and 2015-16 against Watford.
  • Eddie Nketiah has scored in all four of his domestic cup appearances this season for Leeds United and Arsenal, netting four goals. In his career, Nketiah has scored six goals in eight domestic cup games (FA/League Cup), averaging a goal every 83 minutes.

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