Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson is expecting a reaction from Manchester City after they were held to a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Pep Guardiola‘s side make the tough trip to Bramall Lane this evening as they face off against Sheffield United, but Thompson believes the Citizens will come out on top:

“I think Manchester City will be hurt from the weekend’s draw with Crystal Palace. That is bad news for Sheffield United, but it may not be as comfortable as Man City would like it to be.”

Thompson has gone for a narrow 2-1 win in what is shaping up to be a difficult test away from home for City. The reverse fixture at home last month proved difficult enough with the 2-0 scoreline belying how hard the game was for Guardiola’s men.

The Blades have been a tough nut to crack for the majority of teams this campaign, and that is demonstrated by the fact that they currently sit seventh in the league table, ahead of Tottenham and Arsenal.

They are, however, less effective on their own patch, having lost four of their 11 fixtures at home. Thompson is right to call this one a tight affair with Chris Wilder’s side having only conceded 10 goals at Bramall Lane this campaign.