Sheffield United are a team contesting for the Championship title and they will approach this clash looking to win, and only win. They are certainly the stronger of the 2 outfits and although the away side have steadily improved since the change of manager, The Blades are a different animal. They’ve recorded 3 league wins in succession and would go back to the top of the table, at least for now, with another.

Hull’s record against top-half opponents also leaves a lot to be desired. The Tigers have a record of played 16, won 2, drawn 4 and lost 10. They clearly are not up to that standard and a tough Friday night is set to await them.

Chris Wilder’s side are not only riding high in the actual league table, but they are also excelling in the first-half tally of all Championship clubs. Sheffield United have the best first-half record of any side in the division. They have been ahead in 50% of their league encounters, only being behind on 3 occasions. Also, the Bramall Lane club have outscored opponents at home 11-2 in this period across the league campaign.

Hull have been very active in the transfer window since it reopened and many new faces have already come in. More are set to come, however having to gel these players in so quickly is no easy task. They face a team with a much settled 11 and understand one another more efficiently. The away team might be a little disjointed here as they try to bed in new faces.

This has the makings of being a long night for Hull. Sheffield United are a team playing with real rhythm right now and are relishing every game they get to play. This is a team ranked joint-second in the division in relation to highest number of clean sheets. Across the Championship season, Wilder’s men have a 57.14% success hit rate of not conceding a goal. Only Burnley, who have conceded just 9 league goals all season, have a better return in this category.

Hull have had problems scoring goals. That is slowly starting to change under Rubén Sellés, but a trip to Bramall Lane presents arguably his toughest assignment so far. This is a team that has failed to score in 39.29% of their league fixtures this season. Only bottom of the table Plymouth have managed to do so in more.

Callum O’Hare might be an attacking midfielder but he is not necessarily a huge goal threat for Sheffield United. He rarely misses a game however and clearly has a specific job within Chris Wilder’s structure. This is a player that adds creativity to The Blades, so much so he is ranked 2nd in the squad for number of assists.

The former Coventry man has just the 2 goals to his name, and he has to be opposed for any scoring markets for that reason. It could just be that he takes greater pleasure in laying one on for a team mate. He only averaged 0.90 shots per game, so the make-up of his game appears to suit being more of a creator.

The kind of movements O’Hare makes also means he is difficult to mark and ultimately keep quiet. There is a tenacity to his game that gives headaches to opposing players. A Hull side battling relegation will have their issues in keeping this man out of the game.