LIVE
Sheffield United - Bournemouth
Premier League - 9 February 2020

Sheffield United get a corner, but Norwood can only drop it on the head of Ake at the front post and it's cleared.

A free-kick to Sheffield United now after a foul on Fleck, thirty yards out and to the left. Norwood can only put it straight into the hands of Ramsdale.

Bournemouth win the ball deep in Sheffield United's half. IT's worked to Fraser on the left, who fires a lovely cross to the back post. For some reason Billing goes with his feet rather than heading it, and misses completely.

CLOSE! A long, diagonal ball finds Baldock in the Bournemouth area. He chests it down and his drilled cross eventually ricochets to Mousset, who shoots from six yards out but it's blocked brilliantly by Smith and cleared.

WHAT A SAVE! Another brilliant break by Bournemouth down the left. Harry Wilson chips the ball to the penalty spot, where Callum Wilson lays it off to Fraser. He smashes a half-volley at the top corner, but Henderson makes a stunning reflex save to turn it away.

Josh King is preparing to come on for Bournemouth.

Basham spectacularly brings a diagonal ball down in the Bournemouth area. He then cuts it back to Lundstram, who can't time his shot and scuffs it completely. Bournemouth clear.

McBurnie sets off on the break, twisting Francis one way and then the other, but his low cross for Sharp is cut out by Ake.

CLOSE! Sheffield United can't clear the corner. Fraser wins the second ball and heads across to Ake, who chests it under control before hooking a volley just wide of goal.

Good work again from Fraser wins a corner for Bournemouth.

Better stuff from Bournemouth here. Fraser works the ball across to Smith on the right, who cuts inside and shoots with his left but it's well over the bar.

Fleck finds Stevens on the left of the area, and he drills another dangerous low cross through the Bournemouth area. It's cleared, but the home side are well on top in the second half.

CHANCE! It's the old route one. A massive long clearance from Henderson is flicked on by McBurnie. It skids into the penalty area where Sharp races onto it to fire a volley at goal, which Ramsdale does well to turn around the post with his feet.

We're off again!

That's half-time.

GREAT SAVE! McBurnie wins the header from the corner, sending at at the bottom corner where Ramsdale does superbly to palm it away.

BIG CHANCE! A cross from the left breaks to Norwood on the edge of the area. He hammers a shot at goal, which deflects of Ake and flies inches wide with Ramsdale beaten.

Another great break by Bournemouth, who spring through midfield and find Callum Wilson. He then lays it to Fraser on the left, and his cross into the middle is just too far ahead of Harry Wilson and Henderson gathers.

Free kick to Sheffield United, central and 25 yards out. Norwood has a pot at goal but puts his effort straight into the wall.

Norwood drives a brilliant cross to the Bournemouth back post, and Francis does superbly to flick it clear under extreme pressure.

CHANCE! Stevens whips a low cross in to the Bournemouth area. It clips off Surman and runs through to McBurnie, but his shot is partially blocked by Ake and loops up into the arms of Ramsdale.

Bournemouth almost get in down the left with a reverse ball to Fraser. He can't quite make his mind up whether to pass or shoot as he approaches the area, and his eventual ball to Callum Wilson is misdirected and intercepted. That was an opening for Bournemouth.

Sheffield United win another corner, but this time Fleck can't clear Billing at the front post and Bournemouth clear.

CHANCE! Fleck lofts a corner to the back post to Egan. He heads it back into the six yard box, but O'Connell can only send his header half a yard over the bar.

Fraser whips a dangerous ball in to the six-yard box, but Henderson punches clear.

Rico wins a free-kick for Bournemouth in the left corner near the Sheffield United goal, another good position for the visitors.

Sharp and Francis tussle for a loose ball down the left, with Francis forced to put the ball out to huge cheers. The home side do need something to get them going here.

Callum Wilson gets in behind the home defence in the bottom right corner. He absolutely smashes his low cross through the area, which misses everyone and goes all the way to Rico at left-back near the halfway line.

Ryan Fraser has gone off temporarily with a head injury.

CHANCE! Now the home side are at it; Stevens gets into the Bournemouth area on the right. He fizzes a ball across the six yard box to Sharp who, from a tight angle on the right, can only locate the side netting.

CHANCE! Ryan Fraser is giving Sheffield United serious problems. On the break straight from kick-off he floats a ball to the back post, but Billings can only manage an air shot from six yards out.

CLOSE! Fraser's ball in is flicked on by Francis at the front post. Callum Wilson hooks his leg at the ball at the far, and sends it a yard wide of the goal.

Basham brings down Gosling on the left, just outside the area. Free-kick to Bournemouth in a handy position.

A couple of dangerous, quick breaks by Bournemouth here. From the second, Fraser dinks a cross to Harry Wilson near the penalty spot but he glances his header well away from goal.

Bournemouth play a short corner back to Rico. He whips in a dangerous ball to the back post, but Ake can't time his header correctly and it dribbles out for a throw-in.

The pitch isn't playing too heavy, which is surprising given the downpour of water it's taken on. The worst of the storm conditions have passed now, but the greasy surface has caused a few slippages so far.

An early chance for hte home side. McBurnie runs the left channel to get onto a through ball, and cuts it back to Fleck. His low drive is well blocked by Francis.

We're underway!

The captains Billy Sharp and Simon Francis are ready to lead out the teams. Your referee today will be Jon Moss.

A few hours ago this fixture looked highly likely to be called off. It’s still howling with wind and rain in Sheffield but the staff at Bramall Lane have done a great job in making this match playable. The elements are still likely to have a huge influence on the result this afternoon.

In the reverse fixture between these two on the opening day of the season, Sheffield United nicked a point on the south coast with a late equaliser by Billy Sharp.

The history of this fixture makes miserable reading for the visitors. Bournemouth have only beaten Sheffield United once in 16 attempts, in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane in August 1987 when the teams were in Division Two.

Bournemouth have stabilised in the last couple of weeks, after a disastrous run through the middle of the season where they took just four points from 36. Back-to-back victories over Brighton and Aston Villa have moved the Cherries out of the relegation zone, but they’ll still be looking nervously over their shoulder. Can Eddie Howe’s team snag only their fourth away victory of the season so far to advance further up the table?

What a season it’s been for Sheffield United so far. With roughly two-thirds of the season gone Chris Wilder’s men are well in the hunt for one of the Champions League qualifying places. A win today would move them up to fifth in the table, two points behind Chelsea who would have a game in hand.

Bournemouth are without Jefferson Lerma, who is serving a suspension after his red card against Aston Villa last weekend. He’s replaced in midfield by Andrew Surman.

There is a debut today for Sheffield United’s new record signing Sander Berge makes his home debut today, in an unchanged side from the team that won at Crystal Palace last week.

Bournemouth (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Smith, Francis, Ake, Rico; Gosling, Serman, Billing; H Wilson, C Wilson, Fraser

SUBS: Boruc, Stacey, S Cook, L Cook, Stanislas, King, Solanke

Sheffield United (3-5-2): Henderson; O’Connell, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Fleck, Norwood, Berge, Baldock; McBurnie, Sharp

SUBS: Verrips, Jagielka, Lundstram, McGoldrick, Mousset, Osborn, Retsos

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Sheffield United versus Bournemouth in the Premier League. Storm Ciara has forced the cancellation of a whole chunk of sporting action across the country today, but we’re going ahead at Bramall Lane. Teams to follow shortly.