Key events
16 mins: Arblaster flicks the ball over two Leeds players and into the path of O’Hare, who is flagged offside. Replays suggest it was a very close call.
14 mins: A little more intent from Leeds, with Gnonto curling a cross towards Piroe. It’s intercepted but the hosts win a corner when Bogle gets to the rebound first. The corner almost falls to Struijk, but Tanaka is penalised for hauling Burrows over.
12 mins: Hamer cuts inside his marker and shoots, but his effort balloons off another defender and into Meslier’s arms.
11 mins: Leeds get a corner but the delivery is cleared at the near post and Sheffield United threaten to break – only for winger Largie Ramazani to make a crunching tackle, winning the approval of the Elland Road faithful.
10 mins: My highlight of a tentative first 10 minutes is the Leeds fans’ “Voulez-Vous” inspired chant, which is (I think) about Gaetano Berardi.
8 mins: Sheffield United look to have settled quicker with Arblaster dictating things in midfield. He sets up Hamer on the right, but his cross is easy enough for Meslier to collect.
6 mins: It looks like left-back Harrison Burrows is pushing forward when Sheffield United get the ball, making the formation a 4-5-1 with O’Hare playing behind Moore.
4 mins: Gnonto goes down and looks a little sore but is OK to continue. Sheffield United get their first half-chance, Callum O’Hare almost latching on to Moore’s flick-on before Junior Firpo gets a toe on the ball to intercept.
2 mins: It’s Leeds on the front foot early on, with Harry Souttar getting across to deal with Gnonto down the right. The Australia centre-back has played internationals in Adelaide and Saitama, Japan in the last eight days.
Peep!
We’re off, Leeds in all-white, Sheffield United in red and white stripes, black shirts, black socks. Textbook.
Kick-off approaching, Leeds fans belting out “Marching on Together” as the players file out on to the pitch. But before the game begins, a minute’s applause will be held for George Baldock. Banners and Greek flags held aloft in the away end, with Sheffield United fans chanting his name. It’s a moving moment.
Our roving reporter on the ground tonight is Will Unwin, who tells me it’s a chilly night at Elland Road, forcing him to don a bobble hat for the first time this season.
No changes from Daniel Farke to the team that drew 2-2 at Sunderland before the international break. Chris Wilder does switch things up, with Jamie Shackleton, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Gustavo Hamer and Harrison Burrows coming in to a more defensive set-up with five at the back.
Team news
Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Bogle, Rodon, Struijk, Firpo; Tanaka, Rothwell; Gnonto, Aaronson, Ramazani; Piroe.
Subs: Darlow, James, Bamford, Solomon, Fernandez, Byram, Schmidt, Debayo, Crew.
Sheffield United (5-4-1): Cooper; Shackleton, Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Norrington-Davies, Burrows; Arblaster, Vinícius Souza, Hamer, O’Hare; Moore.
Subs: Adam Davies, Gilchrist, McCallum, Brewster, Rak-Sakyi, Robinson, Campbell, Brooks, Peck.
Referee: Lewis Smith (Lancashire).
Tributes to George Baldock, firstly from his former Sheffield United teammate, Anel Ahmedhodzic. “He was my partner, we were dominating the right side when we played together. He was the first one to make me feel part of the group. He was such a great guy. It’s very sad, and for me and people I know, it’s been a hard week.”
Chris Basham, who is on Sky punditry duties, adds: “I was hit by it hard … he was the heartbeat of the dressing room, putting the music on, getting the lads fired up. He was an outstanding footballer, and an outstanding person as well.”
Jobi McAnuff: “He really connected with Sheffield United fans, he had such an infectious personality and brought that to the pitch. He gave absolutely everything, every minute he put that shirt on.”
Whether you’re a Sheffield United fan or not, if you’d like to pay your own tribute to George Baldock, drop me an email or tweet @niallmcveigh.
The teams are in:
Preamble
It’s still early days, but this season’s Championship promotion race looks set to be an all-timer. The top nine teams are separated by five points, and have a combined 110 years of Premier League service between them. All nine could argue that the top flight is their natural habitat – but the task of climbing through the trapdoor (and avoiding an immediate fall back) is tougher than ever.
Two of the second tier’s biggest beasts meet in a Yorkshire derby tonight, having largely swerved each other in their respective bounces between divisions. Leeds and Sheffield United haven’t played a top-flight game in front of a crowd since 1994 – but tonight’s meeting between the unbeaten Blades and Daniel Farke’s fizz-fuelled heavyweights will feel undeniably top-tier.
While we can expect a fierce intensity under the lights at Elland Road, the occasion will get off to a sombre start. This is Sheffield United’s first game since the tragic death of their former player, George Baldock, at the age of 31. He will be commemorated by both clubs with a minute’s silence before kick-off, which is at 8pm (BST).
