Bramall Lane is set to host a significant Championship clash on Friday, with Sheffield United gearing up to meet Sunderland.
The home team currently occupies the second spot in the league after securing a victory on Tuesday, while their opponents trail by two points, having finished their last five matches in draws. On Friday, Sheffield United return to Bramall Lane with the aim of extending their lead at the summit of the Championship at the onset of the new fixture round, bolstered by a strong unbeaten streak that spans either side of the November international break.
Having endured their only two league losses consecutively in mid-October, the Blades have since won five and tied one of their last six matches. They entered the recent break riding a wave of four consecutive wins, capped off by a 1-0 victory in the Steel City Derby against arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Chris Wilder’s squad journeyed to Coventry City last Saturday, returning with a point after a 2-2 draw. Tyrese Campbell and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi scored in the first half, setting the stage for a strong comeback at home against Oxford United on Tuesday. Callum O’Hare, Campbell, and Rak-Sakyi all found the net in a decisive 3-0 victory.
This result continued an impressive streak for the Blades at Bramall Lane, with seven consecutive home wins without conceding a goal. Only Burnley have let in fewer goals than the nine Wilder’s team has allowed over 17 matches, during which they have scored 24 times.
Currently positioned second in their quest to return to the Premier League, Sheffield United sit on 35 points, only behind Leeds United on goal difference, despite starting with a two-point penalty. They aim to extend their lead over competitors with an eighth consecutive home win on Friday.
They face a challenging task as the visitors head to South Yorkshire with the intention of overtaking the Blades while maintaining their own 10-game unbeaten run in England’s second division.
Sunderland have started the 2024-25 Championship season strongly under the summer leadership of Regis Le Bris, collecting 33 points from their first 17 matches with nine wins and only two losses.
Their last defeat occurred in late September, but since then, the Black Cats have gone 10 games unbeaten, including their first six draws of the campaign. This stretch includes five consecutive draws leading into Saturday’s match, following recent stalemates against Queens Park Rangers, Preston North End, and Coventry City.
After returning from a break with a trip to Millwall, Le Bris’s squad secured a point from a 1-1 draw due to Femi Azeez’s equaliser in injury time for the hosts after Aaron Connolly had given them a 1-0 lead. Most recently, they played at home against fellow promotion contenders West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, with both teams unable to score, resulting in another draw.
Sunderland are currently enjoying the league’s longest unbeaten streak, yet their recent inability to clinch victories has seen them slip from the top position. Eager to reclaim their place at the Championship’s pinnacle, they aim to return to winning form this Friday.
