Sheffield United defeated Aston Villa 4-1 at Bramall Lane.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has backed Sheffield United to contend for promotion this season, claiming that they will be a force in the Championship over the next nine months, the Birmingham Mail reports.
Bruce said: “Sheffield United will be contenders. They were last year before falling away a little bit. It’s no surprise.
“They’ve got a good side and an excellent manager. They will be a force in this division.”
Can Sheffield United challenge for promotion?
The Blades lost their first two matches of the campaign, including a heavy 3-0 defeat at Middlesbrough, leading to some supporters to question whether they have what it takes to compete for a top 6 position this season.
But four straight league wins, including their latest being a 4-1 thrashing over expected promotion rivals Villa, has seen Sheffield United move up to third in the Championship table – just two points off league leaders Leeds United.
The Blades threatened a top six spot last season after starting the campaign well, but they faded in the second half of the season and eventually slipped to tenth after winning just four of their last 14 games.
Chris Wilder has strengthened the squad in the summer signing the likes of John Egan for a record transfer fee from Brentford, Oliver Norwood from Brighton and Conor Washington on a free transfer.
With strength all over the park, the Yorkshire side have the quality to mount a serious challenge for promotion and they may not have a better chance to do so with teams such as Stoke City and Villa struggling to get going.
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