Sheffield United returned to the top of the Championship on Friday night after a superb 3-1 win over Frank Lampard’s in-form Coventry.
The Sky Blues had taken 30 points from their last 12 games – more than any other team in the top four divisions of English football – but they were outclassed by the Blades at Bramall Lane.
Gustavo Hamer scored a stunning free-kick to open the scoring before Tyrese Campbell doubled the lead and Rhian Brewster scored his first home goal for the Blades since January 2022 to add the gloss. Jack Rudoni scored a late consolation for the visitors.
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Sheffield United’s Gus Hamer curls a beauty into the top right corner
The result puts the pressure back on Leeds, who face Swansea on Saturday afternoon.
At first, it was cagey. With two of the country’s most in-form teams facing off and the stakes so high in their respective promotion pushes, perhaps that was to be expected.
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Sheffield United’s Tyrese Campbell slots away their second to go two up against Coventry
Then Bobby Thomas brought down Hamer around 25 yards from goal – and from the resulting corner, the midfielder scored a sure-fire goal of the season contender. He curled his free-kick with pace, over the wall and into the top-right corner.
The Sky Blues brought him to England from PEC Zwolle in 2020, so there was no celebration. In fact, he looked almost apologetic for his incredible effort.
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Rhian Brewster continues his impressive form by firing in Sheffield United’s third goal
It was 2-0 on the half-hour. Femi Seriki rode a challenge and flashed the ball across the box at pace, finding Campbell, whose first-time finish looked simple, even though that was far from the truth. It was the in-form frontman’s fourth in five games.
The evening got worse for Lampard’s side shortly afterwards, with goalkeeper Oliver Dovin stretchered off with an apparent knee injury after a Cruyff turn to take the ball away from Campbell.
Just after the hour mark, Brewster sealed the victory when he emphatically finished from Ben Brereton Diaz’s lay-off. It was his second in as many games; the last time he scored in consecutive games was during a loan spell at Swansea in July 2020.
Coventry still pushed, with hopes of a miraculous comeback in the backs of their minds, and did get on the scoresheet in the 92nd minute courtesy of Jack Rudoni. All that did, though, was deny the Blades a clean sheet on an otherwise thoroughly positive evening in the Steel City.
The managers
Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder:
To follow…
Coventry’s Frank Lampard:
To follow…