Sheffield United’s Biggest Rivals in the Bid for Promotion to the Premier League | OneFootball

The 2024/25 Championship campaign is well underway, and Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United have made a solid start, despite starting with a two-point deduction.

After being relegated from the Premier League with a whimper last season, there were plenty of question marks surrounding the Bramall Lane outfit heading into the new season.

Those questions were only amplified following the potential sales of star players such as Gustavo Hamer, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Oliver Arblaster and Vinicius Souza. However, they have managed to keep that quartet, and the only meaningful departures the club has suffered are: Cameron Archer, which was already a pre-agreed sale, Jayden Bogle, Will Osula, and of course Oli McBurnie.

Although it took a while, the club eventually replaced those departing stars, and the likes of Welsh striker Kieffer Moore, Callum O’Hare and Alfie Gilchrist have hit the ground running.

The Blades are currently unbeaten after five games of the new season, with three victories and two draws under their belt. Impressive away victories against Preston North End and Hull City coupled with a 1-0 home win against Watford have left them in sixth place at present and the latest odds provided by online sports betting at Bovada make them a 12/1 fourth-favourite for the Championship title.

Let’s take a look at their chances in-depth, as well as their biggest rivals for the crown.

HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 13: Chris Wilder, Manager of Sheffield United, celebrates victory following the Sky Bet Championship match between Hull City AFC and Sheffield United FC at MKM Stadium on September 13, 2024 in Hull, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Sheffield United

As Sheffield United embark on the second tier campaign this term, they are aiming to make a strong statement following their relegation from the Premier League. Last season, the club had a disastrous time in the top flight, finishing bottom of the pile with a paltry 16 points and a staggering 104 goals conceded. They suffered thumping defeats all season long and many thought they might struggle in the Championship this season.

However, manager Chris Wilder has managed to cultivate his side, despite a messy takeover situation as well as losing several squad players. One man who has remained is Gustavo Hamer, and he has been instrumental this term, following on from his impressive performances in the Premier League last season. He has bagged three times from an unnatural inverted left-winger position already this season, helping his side to an unbeaten start as the top goal-scorer, and keeping the team’s offensive momentum alive.

New signings like Chelsea loanee Alfie Gilchrist and the aforementioned Moore have plugged the gaps left by the departing Archer and Bogle, while the free transfers of Callum O’Hare and Jamie Shackleton have also helped flesh out the Blades’ squad.

Now, the immediate task at hand is building on their positive start, while also making an impression on the first Steel City Derby in six years when United welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Bramall Lane on November 10th.

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are currently sitting in 10th place with 8 points, but the bookies still make them a 10/1 contender for the Championship title. Much of that pricing is built off the back of a solid end to last season in which incoming manager Michael Carrick led the club to the brink of the playoffs despite sitting bottom of the league upon the former Manchester United midfielder’s arrival. Boro strengthened substantially in the summer, bringing in young striker Tommy Conway from Bristol City and Manchester City youngster Micah Hamilton.

However, despite those additions, the Teeside outfit hasn’t managed a showstopping start to the campaign. Disappointing home draws against Portsmouth and Preston have left them down in tenth place with just eight points to their name. They are already five points behind pacesetters West Brom – whom they will face off against on October 1st – and they have some difficult tests on the horizon. Making it out of contests against the likes of the Baggies, as well as Watford, Sheffield United, and Norwich will indicate whether Boro are a genuine contender or not.

Leeds United

Everyone loves to hate Leeds United, and those haters had their moment last season as the Elland Road club lost the Championship playoff final to Southampton at Wembley. The West Yorkshire outfit has lost on their last three trips to the playoff final – one of them from League One – and they will be aiming to put that disappointment behind them by romping to the Championship title. However, they too have lost several key men in the summer for eye-watering amounts of money, hardly any of which has been invested back into the first team.

Leeds made well over £100m thanks to the sales of stars such as Georginio Rutter, Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Sinisterra, and Glen Kamara, but those holes have not yet been filled. As such, the Whites have stuttered throughout the early weeks of the season.

They bounced back from a shocking 3-3 draw at home to newly promoted Portsmouth on the opening day of the season with back-to-back wins against Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, but a recent 1-0 home defeat against ten-man Burnley has sent Daniel Farke back to the drawing board. The German boss has plenty of critics following his failure to get Leeds promoted last season, and those voices of discontent will only grow louder should the club not manage to pick up a string of victories shortly.

Burnley

Burnley are the short-priced favourites to claim the title this season, despite the departure of former manager Vincent Kompany. New boss Scott Parker has managed to lead the club to fourth place in the table, and the recent victory away at Leeds despite the sending off of Bashir Humphreys has certainly bolstered the mood at Turf Moor.

The Clarets let quite a few key players leave at the back end of the transfer window, names such as Sander Berge, Wilson Odobert, Dara O’Shea, Vitinho and Zeki Amdouni will be big misses. However, they have managed to keep Luca Koleosho, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they didn’t secure an immediate return to the top flight next term.

As always, the Championship season looks set up to be a closely contested league right the way through. And there will undoubtedly be a few shock results along the way, and one or two teams may surprise people as to where they finish come the end of the campaign.