Hull City defeated Sheffield United 3-0 at home on Friday night, making it a fantastic night to be a Leeds United supporter. And, as predicted, Chris Wilder had a lot to say following the game.
Leeds United and Sheffield United have been neck and neck at the top of the Championship all season. However, Burnley and Sunderland have recently upped the ante, with only five points separating the top four right now.
The top four are all pushing away, with Middlesbrough in fifth place now 10 points behind Sunderland in fourth. However, the promotion picture might shift dramatically over the next round of games, which began with a devastating Sheffield United defeat.
Chris Wilder’s Blades ended a three-game winning streak on Friday night, losing 3-0 at home to Yorkshire rivals Hull City. Leeds, led by Daniel Farke, defeated Norwich City 2-0 in their most recent match.
Leeds are now a game ahead of them, but still a point behind. If they beat third-place Burnley on Monday night, they will go four points clear at the top of the table.
Chris Wilder’s promotion verdict following Sheffield United’s defeat by Hull City.
Wilder was obliged to pitch a haphazard XI against Hull City because to the Blades’ current injury crisis. With that in mind, Wilder downplayed the seriousness of his team’s setback to Hull City. Wilder also noted that the race for promotion is far from over.
Wilder told Sky Sports after the game: “Everyone is so theatrical about everything. When you win, you’ll do this; if you lose, you’re out of the race. There’s still plenty of football to be played. I am an experienced manager who has previously encountered this problem.
“We must take it on the chin. We have to accept the disappointment of losing a home game on a Friday night when we had the opportunity to lead the division. This is not a mug league. We don’t have the right to just show up and win a game of football.”
Sheffield United’s next five fixtures versus Leeds United’s next five fixtures
Leeds has just 18 games remaining in the season. Every game between now and the end of the season is critical for both Leeds and Sheffield United, and the Whites have some extremely difficult Championship games coming up.
The games against Burnley and Sunderland could make or break Leeds’ promotion hopes. However, victory in both might provide Farke’s team with the points and confidence it needs to complete the task.
Sheffield United, on the other hand, has a more favorable schedule ahead of them, albeit with some potential banana skins and a difficult home game against Middlesbrough.
Then, on February 24th, Leeds and Sheffield United will meet at Bramall Lane in what may be the Championship’s title-deciding game.
