Championship Play-Off Final Preview: Sheffield United v Sunderland
Gab Sutton 
Sheffield United and Sunderland meet on Saturday in the Championship Play-Off Final, dubbed the 'richest game in football'.
A place in the Premier League is up for grabs and Sheffield United undoubtedly go into the game as favourites with betting sites, but Sunderland have the players to cause problems for any side.
Free Bets EFL expert Gab Sutton discusses the red-and-white striped sides vying to join Leeds and Burnley in the Premier League next season.
Sheffield United
Why they will win it
Firstly, and most obviously, the Blades have been comfortably the third-best team in the Championship over the course of the season, accumulating 92 points.
Chris Wilder’s side have star men in goalkeeper Michael Cooper, midfielder Vinicius Souza and midfielder-turned winger Gus Hamer, who all have the quality to be difference-makers on the big occasion.
United have demonstrated an uncanny knack of edging out tight games, and have been strong going forward in the second half of the campaign, thanks to the underrated movement of forward Tyrese Campbell, who has played a more prominent role.
Alongside Souza, who is a battler with excellent playmaking qualities from deep, is Sydie Peck, who’s been a surprise emergence this term following the long-term injury to Oli Arblaster.
The latter was expected to be missed for his tenacity and all-action energy, but Peck has brought a more progressive dimension to the Blades and has proved the perfect foil for Souza.
Hamer, though, is the big one: if the Steel City outfit can get him drifting infield to create in those central pockets of space, and/or consistently linking up with flying left-back Harrison Burrows, then he has the ability to light up Wembley – and inspire the Blades to the Premier League.
Why they might not
Since dominant centre-back Harry Souttar got injured just after Christmas, Sheffield United have conceded 23 goals in 23 games, having shipped 13 in the first 23.
The ‘goals against’ column in that time still stacks up ok, but it’s a sizeable drop-off, and things could be a lot worse without a goalkeeper of Cooper’s quality – similar to that of Burnley record-breaker James Trafford.
The Blades didn’t replace Souttar adequately in the January window, and so Wilder has been left with a centre-back pairing of Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson, of whom neither provide that imposing presence.
True, opponents Sunderland don’t have the target man that could make the most of that vulnerability, in the same way their own Kieffer Moore might, but we’ve seen what Dan Ballard can do getting on the end of set pieces…
Plus, United could be weak on the right hand side, with a full-back in Hamza Choudhury who’s a midfielder by trade, and a winger, possibly, in Rhian Brewster who’s a striker – so, if Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is not deemed fit to start, who’s bringing the quality from that flank.
If the Blades rely too heavily on their much stronger left side, they risk becoming too predictable.
Sunderland
Why they will win it
Sunderland have had a bigger grilling en route to the final; whilst Sheffield United had swanned past Bristol City within half an hour of the tie kicking off, the Black Cats needed a last-gasp header from Dan Ballard to avoid extra-time against Coventry.
While their greater difficulty could imply vulnerability through one lens, it also prepares them better, perhaps, for a clash as tough as this one – and preparation is the key advantage for a team that has known they’ll be in the Play-Offs for 10 weeks before they began.
Regis Le Bris’ side boast stupendous talents in Trai Hume, Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham, Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, and star quality in Enzo Le Fee.
Le Fee played both Semi-Final legs on the left, an unnatural position for the agile technician, but now winger Romaine Mundle is back fit, there’s a chance he could shift into a preferred central role – where he really could cause havoc.
Whether it happens from the start or later on, the thought of Le Fee feeding Mayenda, Isidor and Mundle in transitions will strike fear into Sheffield United, while Sunderland will also offer that solid defensive shape they’ve had all season.
Why they might not
Le Bris stays very calm. Through one lens, that could be a strength on the big day: the players know what’s expected of them, it’s very clear with emotion removed, play the game not the occasion etc. (other generic cliches are available).
Through another lens, it could put Sunderland at a disadvantage, against a manager in Chris Wilder who lives and breathes his club, and will be very good at getting his passion across to the players.
Psychology aside, it’s also possible that the conservatism Le Bris employed in the semi-final relies on a degree of luck, because it can involve inviting pressure, which then necessitates the opponents not having those final pieces of quality to prise them open.
Conversely, Sheffield United have stronger squad depth than Sunderland – Chris Rigg, for instance, has far, far greater long-term potential than Callum O’Hare, being 10 years younger, yet right now O’Hare is the preferable impact player from the bench, as the semi-finals proved.
Verdict
Both sides impressed in the defensive, out-of-possession aspects in their respective semi-final ties, and it’s difficult to imagine Wilder or Le Bris straying too far from those sturdy foundations.
And, with both sides also happier playing in behind in opportunistic, transitional attacks, it’s hard to see either calling the shots – and so a stalemate is likely, and the game could be goalless at the end of 90 minutes.
In extra-time, however, Sunderland’s counter-attacking strength could come to the fore – especially if Le Fee, Mayenda, Isidor and Mundle are on the field simultaneously – and perhaps Mayenda might score the winner.
