Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United – Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Chris Wilder’s strugglers frustrate the high-flying hosts

There’s the breakthrough! VAR are checking, however.

Two changes for the visitors.

Max Lowe and Gustavo Hamer are on.

Yasser Larouci and Andre Brooks have been taken off.

The former looked absolutely shattered as he trudged off.

Matty Cash with another pullback, but it was too high for Leon Bailey.

Villa are knocking on the door again.

The same two players – Yasser Larouci and Leon Bailey – were pitted against each other again, this time just a minute later.

Larouci had arms around Bailey and was flashed a yellow.

Booking! Leon Bailey has been shown a yellow card.

The winger was in a race against Yasser Larouci after the visitors looked to break away through midfield, and he lost out.

After stopping Larouci’s momentum, he was cautioned.

Villa won an early corner after a sharp one-two between Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey, but the delivery was half-cleared.

The ball was then stood up for Matty Cash, with the visitors scrambling away again. Plenty of bodies were in the box and waiting.

The ball is rolling again at Villa Park! No changes at the break.

Gary Neville speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage…

Sheffield United have been really compact, they’ve been aggressive. They’ve made it difficult for Aston Villa and I said they might have to be patient.

The whistle sounds to signal the end of the first half.

So far, the Premier League’s worst defence have held out a side hell-bent on topping the table on Christmas Day.

To their credit, they’re doing it brilliantly.

Villa have struggled to create and been reliant on hopeful balls floated forward and several dangerous John McGinn corners.

We will have two additional minutes to round off the half.

Chris Wilder will be delighted with his side’s work so far.

They’re sitting deep inside their own half in a 5-4-1 shape, closing down the spaces and moving the ball forward when they can.

Villa will have to be creative to break down this block.

Back to the action on the field, Villa are continuing to probe.

The hosts worked the ball across to Matty Cash near the byline on this near side, but his attempted cutback was hacked out.

Sheffield United are compacting that box. There’s no room to move.

Hands up… who has one of these?

Jacob Ramsey slotted a pass through to Moussa Diaby, and for a second at least it felt like the net would finally ripple.

The winger danced inside onto his left foot but was tackled at the death. Half-hearted penalty appeals went up but nothing was given.

We remain goalless at Villa Park.

The visitors are really under the cosh now.

Villa are moving the ball down the channels quickly and pumping in deliveries for the likes of Ollie Watkins and runners at the far posts

So far, Chris Wilder’s side are standing firm and repelling everything.

Over the top from Ollie Watkins!

Villa won another corner and again, the delivery was a beauty from John McGinn, who looked for the far post area.

The ball was half cleared to the edge of the box and Watkins, under pressure, fired over the crossbar while slightly off balance.

Here’s a stat that shows how dominant Villa have been so far.

The hosts have completed 167 successful passes.

The visitors’ total, you ask? Just 12.

A rare breakaway down the other end for the visitors.

Andre Brooks did his utmost to hold the ball up and create danger, but he was shuttered out, with Villa taking the ball back quickly.

Just over! Villa should really be in front.

John McGinn clipped an inviting corner toward the far post, with Ezri Konsa steaming through a crowd to meet it with his head.

He was on the stretch but could only guide his effort over the top.

Chance! Villa broke away at speed and fed Moussa Diaby down this near side, with his low effort beaten away at the front post.

Shouts then went up for another penalty appeal – the third of the evening so far – but nothing was given.

Jack Robinson was certainly struck in a potential handball incident, but he was grounded and knew nothing about it.

This game has settled into a rhythm now.

Villa are dominating the ball, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, but the visitors have held firm with a deep, compact defensive line.

Another VAR check for a possible Villa penalty! Again, nothing is given.

That would have been very harsh.

This time, the check was for a potential handball.

Villa want a penalty! VAR are checking.

Lucas Digne delivered a cross toward the back post for Ollie Watkins.

The striker rose up at the back post and went to ground under pressure from Vinicius Souza. There was a little shirt grab, too.

Villa are certainly looking sharp going forward.

Leon Bailey plucked the ball out of the sky and took on Yasser Larouci before laying off to Moussa Diaby.

Diaby looked to creep his way down to the byline, but the ball was seen out of play by the stubborn visitors.

John McGinn, popping up in a deeper role, sprayed a quarterback-like pass over the top in search of Ollie Watkins.

The striker was in, but Wes Foderingham collected ahead of him.

Wide! Douglas Luiz ran over the ball and flicked back for Lucas Digne.

The full back then looked to curl one but bent wide of the far post.

The visitors flew out of the blocks right from the kick-off, but Cameron Archer was unable to wriggle his way out of danger in the area.

At the other end, Villa have been awarded a very promising free-kick.

Brilliant play from Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby saw Auston Trusty tempted out, and he fouled the latter right on the edge of the box.

Here come the players, accompanied by fireworks and pyro.

The atmosphere is really building at Villa Park.

The crowd has just been treated to a pretty nifty light show ahead of kick-off, with anticipation whipping from stand to stand.

It feels like the magnitude of this one has really hit home now.

The players have been gearing up out in the cold for this one.

Make sure you’ve wrapped up warm, everyone…

Ten minutes until we get underway!

Graeme Souness’ latest column is live! Here is an extract…

Before this season, it seemed like the Premier League was turning into a fight for Middle Eastern superiority, as Qatar looked to join Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia on our map with their bid to buy Manchester United.

It has not turned out that way in the first five months – and not only because Qatar failed to get the keys to Old Trafford.

The top of the table is wide open at the half-way stage, with a handful of points separating the top five clubs.

As usual, the Premier League is making fools of those who lazily presumed that just because Liverpool hammered Manchester United 7-0 last season, they would do the same again this time.

To read the full column, click the link below!

Chris Wilder, speaking to Sky Sports…

They’re short in terms of their Premier League experience and we’re in a difficult situation. It doesn’t come any easier does it – Liverpool at home, Brentford and Chelsea away and now at Villa on a run of 15 out of 15.

Unai Emery, speaking to Sky Sports…

Of course, we are excited and motivated. Always we are strong here. We want to respect the opponent and the position we are in now. We are not going to refuse the three points to be up there. We want to enjoy the moment.

Sheffield United have made no less than five changes.

George Baldock, Jack Robinson, Yasser Larouci, Anis Slimane and Oliver Norwood have all been handed starts by Chris Wilder.

Dropping out are Anel Ahmedhodzic, Max Lowe, James McAtee, Gustavo Hamer and Oli McBurnie.

Unai Emery has made four changes to the side that beat Brentford.

There is also a formation switch, with the back four returning tonight.

Douglas Luiz is in, replacing the suspended Boubacar Kamara, while Clement Lenglet has been recalled to partner Ezri Konsa.

Lucas Digne will line up at left back.

Starting XI: Foderingham, Bogle, Baldock, Robinson, Trusty, Larouci, Norwood, Souza, Slimane, Archer, Brooks

Substitutes: Davies, Lowe, Fleck, Hamer, McBurnie, Traore, Thomas, Osborn, McAtee

Starting XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Digne, Bailey, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey, Diaby, Watkins

Substitutes: Marschall, Carlos, Moreno, Chambers, Zaniolo, Duran, Dendoncker, Iroegbunam, O’Reilly

Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne are both available for Villa tonight, but Boubacar Kamara is out as he begins his three-match suspension.

Pau Torres has been ruled out, with Youri Tielemans also absent.

For the visitors, Jack Robinson is back in contention.

Chris Wilder is without six players in total for this trip.

The full team news will drop at 7pm GMT.

Unai Emery has told his Aston Villa players to avoid complacency.

I have to try to keep the same motivation and the same preparation for the matches as we have been doing. I can remind them and myself of some matches we played before we started winning.

What an early Christmas present tonight could be for Villa.

A victory would push them to the top of the Premier League table ahead of the other matches this weekend.

As it stands, they are one point behind leaders Arsenal.

The last time Villa were top at this stage of a season? January 1999.

Three points for Villa would also guarantee them a top-two spot on Christmas Day.

Hello, all! Is everyone up for a spot of Friday Night Football?

Welcome along to Mail Sport’s live coverage of Aston Villa vs Sheffield United. A win would send the hosts top. Yes, really.

Imagine offering Unai Emery that at the start of the season…