Dire Sheffield United situation will leave Sheffield Wednesday supporters desperate for survival: View | OneFootball

Premier League outfit Sheffield United, who earned promotion from the Championship last season, are enduring a difficult top-flight campaign and look destined for an immediate second-tier return.

The Blades succumbed to a 5-0 defeat on home soil to Brighton on Sunday afternoon, and have picked up just 13 points from 25 Premier League games.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Steel City, Sheffield Wednesday find themselves in a relegation battle of their own, but two wins in their last three Championship games leaves Danny Rohl's men just four points adrift of safety.

Saturday witnessed the Owls defeat relegation rivals Millwall 2-0 at the Den courtesy of first half strikes from Ike Ugbo and Anthony Musaba, a result which leaves the Lions just one point above the relegation zone.

If Wednesday can replicate recent victories over the Lions and Birmingham City, then there is every possibility that the Hillsborough outfit can maintain their Championship status.

On the other hand, the Blades look certain to be relegated from the Premier League, which could see both Sheffield sides competing in the same division next season.

The Steel City Derby is one of the biggest rivalries in English football, but the Owls and Blades have not locked horns since March 2019, when they played out a 0-0 draw at Hillsborough.

Since the 2018/19 campaign, the Blades and Owls have not competed in the same division with the red and white half of the city enjoying Premier League stints during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, while Wednesday plied their trade in League One during 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Unfortunately for supporters of both sides, the two fixtures between the Steel City rivals during the 2018/19 season both resulted in 0-0 draws.

But the 4-2 win for the Blades at Hillsborough in September 2017 demonstrates exactly why the derby is regarded by many as a thoroughly exciting occasion.

Having witnessed their side spend five years below their bitter rivals in the football pyramid, Owls supporters will be desperate to see their club compete against the Blades in the 2024/25 Championship campaign, and maybe even earn local bragging rights.

A Wednesday survival effort would serve as a double whammy for Blades fans

Blades supporters are enduring a tricky Premier League this season, and have not seen their side pick up a victory at Bramall Lane since a 1-0 win over Brentford on 9th December.

Supporters of Chris Wilder's men could take some consolation if their Steel City rivals, the Owls, are also relegated at the end of the season, but recent results could indicate that Rohl's side are capable of avoiding the drop to League One.

The Blades were the last side to win the Steel City Derby, which is a record they will want to keep intact, and one which the Owls could put under threat if both teams are in the same division next season.

Owls fans, on the other hand, will be desperate to pick up a derby victory for the first time since a 1-0 win at Hillsborough in 2012, when the two sides met in League One.