"I am not sold" - EFL pundit backs Burnley over Sheffield United in Championship promotion race | OneFootball

Adrian Clarke backs Burnley to pip Sheffield United to the final promotion race.

EFL pundit Adrian Clarke has backed Burnley to secure the final automatic promotion spot ahead of Sheffield United, with the ex-Arsenal player suggesting that Leeds United’s strong form has left just one place up for grabs.

The Blades suffered a late defeat to the Whites on Monday evening as despite a strong opening 20 minutes, Daniel Farke’s side responded with goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka, and Joel Piroe to seal a 3-1 victory.

This has given them a five-point cushion over Chris Wilder's side and a seven-point lead over the Clarets in third.

It appears that two teams remain in contention for the final automatic promotion spot, with Sunderland perhaps a little too far back now as they are eight points behind Chris Wilder's side, setting up a thrilling conclusion to the 2024-25 Championship season with 12 games to go.

With the gap standing at just two points and a crucial fixture still to come against the Blades, Burnley effectively have their fate in their own hands, and Scott Parker will be hoping they seize the opportunity and if they can find that bit more in the final third they may just get over the line.

Adrian Clarke backs Burnley to snag second place ahead of Sheffield United

Speaking about the promotion race on the What The EFL podcast, Adrian Clarke admitted that despite Sheffield United holding a slender advantage over Burnley, he believes it is the Clarets who will ultimately secure promotion come May.

"I think Burnley might be better than Sheffield United," Clarke revealed.

"I think that Burnley might catch them. I am not sold on Sheffield United. I love the players but I think Burnley might just have a bit more about them.

"Twice this season, Sheffield United have scored more than two goals. They're very reliant on keeping clean sheets and keeping things tight. I know that Burnley haven't exactly been free-scoring, but I think they might pip them."

Sheffield United and Burnley have both struggled finding the net on a regular basis

The Clarets' defence has been one of the standout features of their season, with many pundits and supporters across the division highlighting its importance. However, the Blades could be seen as equally reliant on their backline, having scored just five more goals than Burnley and struggling to put games to bed.

Their record of 26 goals conceded in 34 games pales in comparison to Burnley’s nine, but as Clarke highlighted, they have only managed to score more than twice on two occasions this season - against Middlesbrough and Oxford United.

Parker's side have also started to show flashes of their attacking prowess, with convincing wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle highlighting their ability to find the net.

If they can begin converting their goalless draws into victories, the Blades could find themselves in trouble and as Clarke suggests, it may well be Burnley who snatch that second-place spot.