Sheffield United bid farewell to the Premier League for the time being as they welcome fans and Burnley to Bramall Lane

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The Blades’ fairytale with the top-flight is over with the second season syndrome hitting the Yorkshire club hard as they will be relegated down to the Championship.

Chris Wilder did such a fantastic job at the club during the 2019/20 season that saw them finish in the top half of the table.

They lingered near the European places but a stoppage due to the coronavirus and a culmination of poor form and injuries saw them down to ninth, five points off Tottenham who finished in the final Europa League spot in sixth.

The boyhood Blades fan left the club in March as the club was bottom of the league with only 14 points picked up. Paul Heckingbottom has taken interim charge and has been only able to pick up six points in that time as Sheffield United are one loss away from reaching a record 30 defeats in a single Premier League season.

Last time out, the Yorkshire outfit travelled north to face Newcastle United with one man being a massive threat for the Magpies, Joe Willock.

Since joining the club, the 21-year-old has not stopped scoring and he did not stop that trend against Sheffield United as his goal in added time of the first-half saw Newcastle United take all three points.

That loss was the 29th for Sheffield United and the record-equalling alongside the likes of Derby County, Ipswich Town and Sunderland putting the Blades in a category they certainly didn’t want to be in.

Another defeat would put them as record holders of that category and they have to make sure they avoid doing so when Burnley travel to Yorkshire this weekend.

The Clarets have been able to survive in the Premier League for another season and since reaching that mark they have really taken their foot off the gas.

Resting most of their players after a tough season, Sean Dyche’s side have lost their last two matches to an aggregate score of 7-0.

Last weekend, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United visited Turf Moor and came out of that fixture as 4-0 winners with a dominant display.

During midweek, top-four chasing Liverpool travelled to Lancashire and gave Burnley yet another beating. This time it was 3-0, courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino, Nat Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

In the reverse fixture at Turf Moor, it was Ben Mee’s goal in the 32nd minute that was the difference as the Clarets ran out 1-0 victors back in December.

It is likely that Dyche will be resting most of his side again after such a difficult season but will want to avoid defeat against bottom of the league.

The Blades will be hungry to avoid victory with a draw being enough but ultimately will want to bow out of the Premier League with one last victory.

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