Football League World
·4 January 2023
Football League World
·4 January 2023
Sheffield United stretched their unbeaten run to six games on Monday night as they claimed an injury-time equaliser away at QPR.
The Blades looked set to suffer their sixth defeat of the Championship season that was until the 96th minute of the game, when United defender Enda Stevens managed to head the ball into the path of John Egan, who blasted the ball home to see the Blades keep up their recent form.
While the draw means they lose ground on Championship leaders Burnley at the top of the table, United now have a nine-point lead over third place Blackburn Rovers, despite the Lancashire side beating Cardiff City.
Both Burnley and Sheffield United seem to be ahead of the rest this season, as the pair look set to battle it out for top spot.
At this stage of the season it seems unlikely that the Blades are going to let slip of their lead they have over the chasing pack, as they look to seal a return to the Premier League.
This is something EFL pundit Matt Jarvis believes, as he thinks United will secure automatic promotion this season after what he called a good result on Monday.
He told ITV’s Football League highlights show, via Yorkshire Live: “I think it’s a good point. “It’s a tough place to go and QPR are a good side, it’s a good point. You need to keep picking up results and they’re on a really good run Sheffield United, and so it’s just about keeping the points coming.
“Third place is so far away at the moment; it can only be the top two for them.”
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Paul Heckingbottom Chris Wilder
The Verdict
Paul Heckingbottom will have been disappointed with Monday’s result, considering the way they have been playing and how close the gap between them and Burnley was.
However, the main aim for United this season will be getting out of the division, and therefore, Monday’s game is another point added to the tally. Both the Blades and Burnley look a cut above the rest this season, and with the position they find themselves in, they should have enough to finish the job come May.
As Jarvis says, United will want to keep picking up points, and while they will look to try and close the gap on Burnley, the main aim will be making sure that lead over Blackburn remains the same for the rest of the campaign.