Sheffield United coasted into the Championship play-off closing after a 3-0 victory secured a record-breaking 6-0 combination conquer Bristol Metropolis on Monday.
Sunderland or Coventry Metropolis, who path 2-1 from the primary leg, await within the closing at Wembley Stadium after Chris Wilder’s aspect eased into the showpiece with a convincing efficiency at Bramall Lane.
United will intention for an instantaneous return to the Premier League with actual confidence, given no aspect has ever received by a bigger combination margin over two legs in Championship play-off historical past than this thrashing.
Trailing 3-0 from the opening semi-final assembly, Liam Manning’s guests got here flying out of the blocks as Scott Twine dragged extensive and Jason Knight examined the arms of Michael Cooper.
Nonetheless, as was the case within the first leg, Metropolis had no reply for United’s attacking menace as two set-pieces on both aspect of half-time did important harm.
Goalkeeper Max O’Leary was caught missing as Harrison Burrows’ right-sided nook discovered Kieffer Moore to move house the opening objective 4 minutes earlier than the interval.
One other Burrows set-piece, once more from the precise flank, introduced United’s second in fortuitous circumstances within the 52nd minute.
Full-back Burrows angled in direction of the sting of the world, with a neat Andre Brooks dummy permitting Gustavo Hamer to attain because of an enormous deflection off Ross McCrorie with a strike that kissed the left-hand submit.
It’s what he does. pic.twitter.com/yIu4NmrA7c
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) Might 12, 2025
Knight steered extensive in response earlier than Callum O’Hare virtually teed up Tyrese Campbell moments after the pair have been launched in a triple change by the buoyant Wilder.
The wonderful Burrows then stepped over a fragile Campbell centre, opening the house for O’Hare to bury previous O’Leary for his second objective in as many play-off matches, having additionally netted the third within the first leg.
Wilder’s problem is now to take his aspect again to the highest flight on the first time of asking, however United have by no means succeeded in any play-off quest throughout 9 earlier efforts within the English Soccer League.
Knowledge Debrief: Acquainted failings hang-out Metropolis
United had misplaced every of their final two house play-off fixtures (2-1 towards Nottingham Forest in 2022 and 2-1 versus Swindon City in 2015), however ended that poor run with a powerful efficiency on Monday.
They’re additionally now unbeaten throughout their final 9 video games in all competitions towards Metropolis (W7 D2).
It was at all times going to be a troublesome ask, nonetheless, as no aspect has ever progressed within the EFL play-offs after dropping the primary leg on house soil by a three-goal margin.
The defeat did proceed a regarding run for Manning, although, given his aspect received simply 4 of their 23 away Championship video games this common season, with solely 5 sides within the division managing fewer.
Nonetheless, the underlying information hardly painted a one-sided affair at Bramall Lane, with United accumulating just one.33 anticipated objectives to Metropolis’s 0.47, suggesting a distinction in ending relatively than likelihood creation.