Sheffield United v Luton Town: Chris WIlder asks for Bramall Lane's help in monumental game

What was promising to be a very merry way to head into Christmas when Cameron Archer put the Blades 1-0 up at Aston VIlla on Friday backfired slightly, making the need to beat the Hatters at Bramall Lane even bigger.

Villa substitute Nicolo Zaniolo snatched an equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time and the next day Burnley and Luton – in a highly-charged first game since Tom Lockyer's second heart attack of 2023 – won their matches.

It means the Blades will need a record win to leapfrog Luton on goal difference but if they are to reel in sinking Nottingham Forest – five points ahead just above the dotted line – they must win games like this.

"It's a great fixture, Boxing Day at home at Bramall Lane, in front of 31,000 or 32,000 supporters," said Wilder, who won his second and most recent home game of his second spell as manager.

"But it's still an incredibly difficult one that we have to overcome and get right. We understand the magnitude of the game, we understand it's a team in and around us and we understand we have to be at our best to get a result.

"You can't talk it down. It's a big game and one that we'll have to play well in and we'll be desperate to get a result from. But it's an intimidating place (Bramall Lane). I know Luton's ground is an intimidating place and how they get behind their players.

"But our supporters watching (Friday's game) will be fiercely determined and in good nick, hopefully, to push us on to a big win. Hopefully we can produce that performance for them.

"One of the things we talked about was the connection between the supporters and the players and how key that is, for us, to gain big results. We feel it wasn't completely disconnected [when he returned] but it went through a bit of a period which wasn't great.

"I think the players have reset and the performances against Liverpool and Brentford at home have been together performances. They set the supporters off. It's up to the players to get the crowd going in terms of their approach to the game."

Wilder was part of the Blades team which won 1-0 at Luton on Boxing Day 1990 to inspire an unexpected escape from relegation. Their position was even more perilous then, having only won their first game of the season four days earlier.

Anel Ahmedhodzic is a doubt having missed Friday's game through injury.

"We'll just basically look and see how he is," said Wilder. "Leave it until the last minute but if he's not right then he's not right and we'll go with what we've got. But it's a big blow, that, because Anel's been good for us.

"I made him captain straightaway and he was outstanding in the three games (against Liverpool, Brentford and Chelsea) so it's really disappointing to lose a big player.

"It's well documented that the group is light on experience, Premier League experience, and there's some big characters missing as well."