Chris Wilder’s Reaction to Another Sheffield United Win Over Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Sheffield United delivered a ruthless and commanding Steel City derby performance, brushing aside Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Hillsborough to claim bragging rights and breathe life into their campaign.

After an early burst of pressure from the hosts, the Blades settled into their rhythm with composure and control, dictating the tempo and silencing the home crowd. Their dominance was rewarded after just 11 minutes. Pressing high, United won the ball in a dangerous area before Callum O’Hare slipped a perfectly timed, perfectly weighted pass into Tyrese Campbell. The striker made no mistake, finishing with precision in front of the Owls Kop.

Only minutes later, chaos in the Wednesday back line nearly produced a second. Dominic Iorfa’s misplaced pass sent Danny Ings clean through, but Owls goalkeeper Ethan Horvath reacted brilliantly, darting off his line and blocking with his legs to keep his side in the contest. Ings then thought he had doubled the lead just before the break with a close-range finish, only for the assistant’s flag to halt the celebrations

If Wednesday hoped to regroup at half-time, their hopes were crushed almost immediately after the restart. Campbell struck again, continuing his extraordinary derby record, after Sydie Peck intercepted a loose pass from debutant Liam Cooper. Campbell’s composure never faltered as he swept home his second of the afternoon, making it three goals in three derby appearances and tightening United’s grip on the match.

Chris Wilder introduced Patrick Bamford for his debut with 20 minutes to play, replacing Ings, but the pattern of the game did not change. Wednesday’s sloppiness in possession repeatedly gifted United opportunities. Andre Brooks forced Horvath into another strong save, while Tom Cannon was denied one-on-one after a sumptuous through-ball from Bamford. The new signing even came close himself, attempting a clever close-range flick as United continued to surge forward.

Cannon, however, would not be denied. As Wednesday fans began heading for the exits, he picked up the ball 25 yards out and unleashed an arrowing strike into the bottom corner, his first of the season and the Blades’ third of a memorable afternoon.

Chris Wilder Reflects on Another Sheffield United Victory in the Steel City Derby

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Tyrese Campbell of Sheffield United scores his team’s first goal past goalkeeper Ethan Horvath of Sheffield Wednesday during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United at Hillsborough on November 23, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

After the match, manager Chris Wilder praised both his team’s performance and the professionalism of Wednesday’s senior players.

Wilder said to SUTV: “It’s been a tough period, I think for both clubs as well, for different reasons. The struggles that our opponents have had over quite a number of months, especially recently. Going up to Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer at the end of the game, I think the way they’ve handled the situation and conducted themselves is absolute credit to them, not just pros, but humans really, in terms of what they’ve had to deal with and how they’ve had to galvanise their group alongside Henrik.

“We always knew that this was going to be a tough afternoon for us. It was on our toes to win the game of football because of the start that we’ve had and the results that we’ve had. We always knew we were going to have to overcome an honest group of players, which we eventually did.

“It was a really solid, strong performance, defensively, sound. I thought we got after them on the press and we created chances as well. We were good out of possession. We got the press right, we forced them to go long, we looked after their best player, I believe, even though he’s dangerous. There wasn’t any errors in our play that allowed them to get a head of steam up, any little periods of sustained pressure that they had, we saw it out. We’re never going to 100% come here and walk over the top of these players because of their attitude and their commitment. We had to quieten the crowd, which obviously we did with the goal.

Blades Boss Thanks Board For Two Former Premier League Players

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 23: Patrick Bamford of Sheffield United looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United at Hillsborough on November 23, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Wilder also expressed gratitude for the club’s backing after the signings of Jairo Riedewald and debutant Patrick Bamford.

“I thank the board for their backing,” he said. “Jairo today was outstanding, such a cool head in the middle of the park when everything was flying around him. And Pat… I talked about wanting a number nine in my team. His attitude has been first class. Delighted we’ve got both of those boys.”

Sheffield United may still remain in the relegation zone after this result, but this win could serve as a platform to build huge confidence and momentum off. The Blades host 19th-placed Portsmouth on Wednesday evening, a team who are currently the worst away side in the Championship.