Sports Desk:

Sheffield United’s promotion push suffered a fresh setback on Wednesday, as a narrow defeat to Millwall saw the Blades fall to third place in the Championship table with 83 points from 41 matches, trailing both Leeds United and Burnley, who now lead the pack with 85 points apiece.

At the heart of United’s midfield resistance stood Hamza Choudhury, whose tireless defensive work was a standout feature on an otherwise frustrating night for the hosts. Tasked with anchoring the midfield, Hamza turned in a committed display, breaking up play with authority and providing much-needed steel as United struggled to find their rhythm.

The match turned against the Blades in the 21st minute when Millwall capitalised on a slice of fortune. A deflected pass evaded Jack Robinson, allowing De Norre to tee up Josh Coburn, who rifled a low effort past Foderingham to stun the home crowd. Despite dominating possession thereafter, United’s efforts to respond fell flat as they laboured to break down Millwall’s disciplined shape.

Through it all, Hamza maintained composure and resolve. He won all three of his ground duels and claimed victory in four of seven aerial battles, making two key tackles and two recoveries to halt Millwall’s rare but dangerous counter-attacks. His reliable distribution — completing 90% of his passes (43/48) — kept United ticking over in midfield, and he found pockets of space to push the ball into attacking areas, contributing two accurate passes into the final third.

Yet, as the Blades chased the game and sought greater attacking impetus, Hamza was replaced in the 65th minute, having provided a solid defensive foundation but unable to influence the scoreline. His substitution coincided with a flurry of chances for the home side, but profligacy in front of goal proved costly.

Substitutes Rak-Sakyi and Cannon both threatened but failed to convert, while Burrows saw a promising strike turned away. Six minutes of added time brought further frustration, as Millwall held firm to seal a crucial away victory.

For Sheffield United, the loss ends a run of strong home form and places fresh pressure on their promotion hopes with five matches remaining.