Chris Wilder Digests Sheffield United Win at Derby as he Praises New Recruits | OneFootball

Sheffield United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Derby County at Pride Park, overcoming a spirited challenge from the hosts in what was a largely unconvincing display. Despite struggling to find their rhythm in the first half, Chris Wilder’s men showed greater urgency after the break, with Ben Brereton Diaz scoring the decisive goal early in the second period.

The opening 45 minutes saw both teams struggle to create clear-cut chances. The first real moment of danger came when Jack Robinson lofted a ball into the box, finding Brereton Diaz in behind the defence. The Chilean controlled well and stabbed an effort on goal, but Derby goalkeeper Widell Zetterström produced a brilliant close-range save. However, the referee had already blown the whistle for a foul on Brereton Diaz, ruling the chance out.

Neither side managed to assert dominance in a lackluster first half. Whatever Wilder said at halftime had an impact, as Sheffield United came out with renewed intensity in the second half.

Just four minutes after the restart, they found the breakthrough. Rhian Brewster played a key role, driving towards the Derby penalty area before shifting the ball to Burrows, who gave it to Tom Cannon on the left. The Irish forward dropped his shoulder, beat his marker, and surged to the byline before delivering a low ball across the six-yard box. Brereton Diaz was perfectly positioned to tap into an empty net.

Derby County, refusing to go down without a fight, had a golden opportunity to equalise late on. A flicked-on corner found Matt Clarke just a couple of yards from goal, but under heavy pressure, he could only head over the bar. It was a let-off for United, who held firm in the closing stages to claim all three points.

Chris Wilder “Absolutely Delighted” With Sheffield United Win But Acknowledges Poor Performance

DERBY, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 01: Harry Clarke of Sheffield United celebrates with teammates Anel Ahmedhodzic and Hamza Choudhury following the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County FC and Sheffield United FC at Pride Park on February 01, 2025 in Derby, England. (Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images)

After the match speaking to SUTV, Chris Wilder acknowledged the performance was far from perfect, but the all important thing was the result. “The result was the biggest thing, it always is. You’d like to play better, but considering the circumstances: five players coming into the team, Vini Souza back after a long time out, Hamza [Choudhury] not playing a lot of minutes, Ben [Brereton Diaz] not playing a lot of minutes, I’m absolutely delighted. And I’m delighted for the 4,000 United fans who came to support us.”

The Blades boss also praised the impact of Brereton Diaz, “Fabulous turn by Tom [Cannon], unselfishly rolled it across the face of the goal, and we all love a back-stick tap-in. I’m loving that it was Ben as well because his attitude last year was first-class. He’s been a massive target for us, and he deserved that winner.”

Wilder also singled out Hamza Choudhury for his tireless work in midfield. “Hamza [Choudhury] was typical Hamza. He hadn’t played much football for a while but covered every blade of grass. We planned for him to come off after 70 minutes, but that wasn’t happening. He’s a proper footballer.”

Finally, he was pleased with the performance of the most recent recruit, right-back Harry Clarke, who made his return to action after a long layoff. “I thought Harry showed his quality. He hasn’t played since December, and the difference between training and playing is huge. He’ll settle down and give us the quality we need.”

The Blades are in action next weekend when they host Portsmouth who just recently held promotion hopefuls Burnley to a 0-0 draw.