Sheffield United will return to action on Saturday hoping to pick up where they left off in the Championship, having put themselves top with 23 points from the opening 10 games.
The Blades’ lofty position is no coincidence considering that no other side in the league have netted more than their 19 goals thus far, while only Preston North End boast a better defensive record, with Paul Heckingbottom’s side allowing just five goals at the other end.
They also remain unbeaten since the opening day in England’s second tier, with their home form being particularly encouraging ahead of Saturday’s contest, as the South Yorkshire outfit have won all four of their
Championship games at Bramall Lane so far, scoring 11 goals and conceding just once in the process, with a 4-0 thrashing of Reading forming the start of a four-game winning run heading into the recent break.
The Blades then put their first two away wins on the board against Hull City and Swansea City before travelling to Preston North End most recently, and they again prevailed with Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie hitting goals either side of half time to extend their eye-catching run.
Heckingbottom’s men will now return from the break hoping to make it 10 league games unbeaten and stretch winning runs, both overall and at home, to five matches.
Birmingham City will make the trip to Bramall Lane also hoping to build on a run of improved results after a slow start to the campaign.
Following the summer appointment of John Eustace, the Blues somewhat struggled to get going, with three straight defeats leaving them on just five points from seven outings.
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They were then able to put an end to a five-game league winless run away at Preston North End, as Maxime Colin hit the only goal of the match, before the Midlands outfit made the short trip to West Bromwich Albion and made it back-to-back victories.
Scott Hogan put his side ahead and Jed Wallace quickly drew their opponents level, but Hogan would complete a hat-trick to put Birmingham 3-1 up and they eventually held out for a three-point haul after Brandon Thomas-Asante pulled one back from the penalty spot late on.
Now most recently on the back of a goalless draw with fellow Midlands outfit Coventry City prior to the break, leaving them 17th in the Championship, Eustace’s men will look to go four games unbeaten in England’s second tier for the first time since last November but face a particularly tough test away at the league leaders.
