Hull City vs Sheffield United – Preview | OneFootball

Sheffield United cap off their first three-game week with a short trip to Hull City before league action takes a break for international duty.

Hull City will come into this full of confidence after salvaging a point after being two goals down inside the opening 10 minutes against Preston North End. And it was former Blades striker Oli McBurnie who got the goals, making it now six goals in eight appearances for the Tigers.

After finding their first win of the season away at Oxford United, the Blades took the lead against Southampton at Bramall Lane. However, the Saints always looked threatening and went on to win 2-1 thanks to Ross Stewart’s clinical display.

Transfer Business

Hull City signed a couple of former Blades players in the summer, and it’s fair to say both Oli McBurnie and John Lundstram have made their mark already for their new club. Both players add experience as well as genuine top quality at this level.

It was widely reported that United tried to sign McBurnie back in the summer, with the striker even offering his services to the club, but the manager at the time, Ruben Selles, opted to reject the chance of signing him. This decision may come back to haunt the Blades on Saturday afternoon.

Perhaps arguably the best business Hull did was to keep standout centre-back Charlie Hughes at the club despite the heavy interest in him. While Hull have only kept one clean sheet in the league, Hughes’ defensive qualities should help improve on that number over the course of the campaign. Especially alongside a veteran like (another) former Blade John Egan.

Team News

Hull City could be without trio Semi Ajayi, Matt Crooks and Joel Ndala, though, the Nigerian centre-back Ajayi was an unused substitute against Preston, perhaps suggesting that he’s nearing full fitness once more.

Chris Wilder has admitted that the Blades will be without Tahith Chong for the immediate future following his knee lock-up during the warm-ups against Oxford United last weekend.

Of course, the likes of Tom Davies and Danny Ings’ minutes will have to be managed following their recent returns from injury on Tuesday.

Hull City’s Impact Player For This Game

WATFORD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: Oliver McBurnie of Hull City looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Watford and Hull City at Vicarage Road on September 27, 2025 in Watford, England. (Photo by Jasper Wax/Getty Images)

This one writes itself. I think 90% of Sheffield United supporters know exactly what Oli McBurnie does for his team: he provides an out-ball to help his team get up the pitch, he provides a target in the box to aim for from both open play and set pieces, and he acts as a link man to bring others into play.

McBurnie has started the season on fire for Hull, netting six times in eight games to add to his three assists. When looking at his numbers in front of goal, the Scottish striker is overperforming his expected goals total, further highlighting his confidence in front of goal. His conversion rate is at an incredible 40%, which sees him top in this regard (minimum of 10 shots taken).

A statistic that may surprise many Blades fans is his creativity numbers. McBurnie has created 14 chances for teammates, which ranks him in the top 10 players in the Championship.

I have seen many United fans argue that McBurnie wouldn’t have had the same impact if the Blades signed him this summer. However, I have to disagree with that. Ryan Giles, Hull’s left-back, who assisted McBurnie twice in midweek, has only created one more chance than United’s Harrison Burrows. The next closest Tiger’s player is McBurnie himself, whereas the Blades have Gustavo Hamer sitting in the top 20 with 12 chances created.

One could argue about Hull City playing more to his strengths and letting him feed off crosses, though the Blades have actually put more crosses into the box than Hull this season. Crossing accuracy is where Hull have a clear edge over the Blades, and this is highly because they have a genuine target to aim for in McBurnie.

Considering how comfortable Ross Stewart looked against Mark McGuinness on Tuesday, you have to think McBurnie could replicate a similar type of performance.

Sheffield United’s Impact Player For This Game

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 20: Greg Docherty of Charlton Athletic is challenged by Sydie Peck of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic at Bramall Lane on September 20, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

It is no coincidence that United’s midfield looked so much better with Tom Davies at the side of Sydie Peck against the Saints. From a progressive point of view, I actually think Peck had his best performance of the season; he rarely turned the ball over or invited unnecessary pressure. And the added layer of Davies’ experience and tempo setting allowed Peck to focus more on picking out forward passes into the likes of Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare.

This should be the starting midfield duo on Saturday afternoon. And if that’s the case, I do like the idea of Peck up against their midfielders such as Regan Slater and John Lundstram. Neither of them are blessed with great physical attributes such as pace and agility, so Peck shouldn’t feel too rushed when he has the ball in pockets of space.

The young midfielder has registered 61 progressive carries thus far, which is one of the highest in the Championship. He’s also played 90+ successful passes in the final third, and I think it’s evident that he is a different player in the final third compared to the first two thirds. In my opinion, he is far more efficient in the final third with his decision-making than he is when receiving the ball from deep for example. And I think having Davies alongside him can help unlock more creativity out of Peck.

One thing I will say about Peck against Southampton is: I would like him to be taken off of near post duty for defensive corners. Southampton’s first goal came from a near post header from Adam Armstrong, and Peck, who wasn’t even looking at the action, did not react at all at the near post. A few minutes later, the Saints almost took advantage of that again, only this time Armstrong’s header went wide.

My Prediction

Despite being one of the best offensive teams in the league (creating over 11 xG), largely down to McBurnie alone, Hull are statistically the second-worst defensive team in the Championship giving up over 15 expected goals. The defending issues are the sole reason Hull find themselves just three points above the drop zone, but you would expect them to find a solution to this over the next few weeks.

I think both teams will find the net in this Saturday midday fixture. I’m going for a 2-2 draw.

Stats taken from Opta and FBref.