With no indication that any Championship promotion hopeful will be “easing up” between now and May, Chris Wilder has told his Sheffield United team that they must perform at their highest level each and every week. After a wild weekend at the top of the Championship, Sheffield United now trail league leaders Leeds United by two points. Fourth-place Sunderland subsequently gave up in the 90th minute to draw 2-2 with Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, while the Blades began the season with a terrible 3-0 loss at home to Hull City.

Leeds and Burnley therefore had a fantastic chance to pull away, but they played out a dull 0-0 draw at Turf Moor on Monday, a result that most likely satisfied all four of the top teams. Last season, Daniel Farke’s club participated in an amazing four-team race, and it appears like they will have to contend with another 90-point tally.

Wilder’s warning about promotion
“Isn’t it good?” Wilder addressed the Star about the marketing fight this season. Although it’s unlikely, anyone breaking into those four might happen. Some of the teams there are good. Blackburn and Middlesbrough had a fantastic run. Several Premier League teams, including Norwich and West Brom, are struggling to place in the top four overall. Given what those teams in and around us have accomplished thus far, they deserve a great deal of praise.We are everyone watching and engrossed in it. “What are Burnley doing, Leeds doing, and Sunderland doing?” Are they saying, ‘That’s okay?’ after seeing our performance against Swansea at halftime [when Sheffield United was behind 1-0]? Am I anticipating something when I watch their games?

“However, you must give each team credit for their performance, and I believe that will occur throughout, as you listen to the commentators, the results, and the teams’ performances. I don’t see anyone else letting up, which is why I believe we need to be at our best heading into the last stretch of the season. We must possess physical, mental, tactical, and technical strength and seize the opportunities when they present themselves. Given that Sheffield United and Plymouth both faced teams in the bottom three before kickoff, Leeds will have been happy to win what was undoubtedly the hardest game of the season without closing the gap on them. In fact, Farke’s team moved up one point on the Blades, who are currently in second place and one point clear of Burnley in third.

Leeds’ outstanding record was further prolonged by a draw; since their loss at Millwall in November, the Whites had gone undefeated in their previous 11 league games. Their current run of play is comparable to the one that saw them overtake Ipswich Town and Leicester City the previous season, with the exception that they were already in the upper echelons. Leeds’ next two opponents, Cardiff City and Coventry, are both seeing an uptick in form, so things will get a little more challenging for them soon. After that, Farke’s team will play straight games against Watford, Sunderland, Sheffield United, and West Brom.

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