Sheffield United took more enjoyment from the opening night of the new Championship season than the entirety of their brief and bruising return to the Premier League. It was November before the Blades tasted victory last season but they were immediately off the mark at Preston, where Oliver Arblaster’s first goal for the club and an audacious finish from Gustavo Hamer gave Chris Wilder’s team a richly deserved win.
It was a hugely encouraging start by a United team who had numerous excuses for opening the campaign nursing a hangover. They could have cited the demoralising effect of finishing bottom of the Premier League last season with 16 points, a draining takeover saga with no end in sight, the loss of several senior players, plus a two-point deduction for defaulting on payments in 2022-23. That came into effect following their return to the EFL. But, much to Wilder’s satisfaction and credit, the visitors showed no signs of self-pity.
Andi Weimann and Yuki Ohashi both grabbed debut goals as Blackburn opened their Championship campaign with a 4-2 win over promoted Derby.
John Eustace's men were rewarded for their fast start as they took a 19th-minute lead through Tyrhys Dolan's close-range finish after a well-worked move. Rovers were in control for the first half but Derby battled back after the break and Curtis Nelson's powerful header in the 67th minute levelled matters.
But the task facing the promoted Rams was laid bare by a triple Blackburn substitution just prior to the equaliser that saw Rovers introduce Weimann, Ohashi and Sammie Szmodics and that trio blew the visitors away with three goals in the space of 12 minutes.
First, Weimann headed home in the 72nd minute from close range against his former club after superb work from Hayden Carter. Szmodics, who is being linked with a move to the Premier League, then confidently swept home four minutes later to make it 3-1 before turning provider for Ohashi to add a fourth with six minutes to go. Kane Wilson headed a late consolation for Derby but this was a sobering reintroduction to the Championship after a two-year absence.
In League One, Mansfield kicked off with a 2-1 victory at Barnsley, with Stephen Quinn and Lee Gregory scoring inside the opening 18 minutes before a reply from Luca Connell. And in League Two, Swindon pegged Chesterfield back to draw 1-1 at Saltergate, Will Wright levelling in the second half after Armando Dobra's 15th-minute goal.
“I’m delighted for the supporters after what was an incredibly difficult season when we all had to suffer,” said Wilder. “It’s a new beginning and I thought the way we played was outstanding. This is a new team with the biggest amount of changes of any club in the Championship this season. We still have work to do and there is a long way to go. We will have difficult days but we have to enjoy days like this as well because of what the Premier League was all about last year.”
For Ryan Lowe and Preston, however, it was a difficult night. Lowe’s team made a flying start to last season, topping the Championship early on, but a run of five consecutive defeats at the end ensured frustration was never far from the surface. The hosts were booed off at the final whistle, which seemed incredibly harsh in the context of an opening game and the calibre of opposition.
United’s breakthrough owed plenty to good fortune. Kieffer Moore released Andre Brooks on the right and he teed up Arblaster on the edge of the area. The midfielder’s shot took a huge deflection off Andrew Hughes and, with Freddie Woodman wrongfooted, sailed just inside the Preston keeper’s right-hand post. United’s vociferous support were in raptures having witnessed only one league win on their travels last season.
The lively Callum O’Hare had a good chance to double the visitors’ lead but over-elaborated at the end of another flowing move. Preston’s threat was limited by comparison, although it improved either side of the interval. Leeds loanee Sam Greenwood and defender Jack Whatmough both went close for the home side early in the second half.
But, just as Preston were gathering momentum, they threw it away. Literally, in Woodman’s case. The Preston keeper made a routine save from Brooks after another dangerous United counterattack. His attempted clearance was a howler, however, as he threw the ball straight to the unmarked Hamer, who sent an exquisite lob back over Woodman’s head from 30 yards and into an unguarded net. The assist may have been dreadful, leaving Deepdale audibly aghast, but Hamer’s execution was outstanding.
Lowe admitted: “It sucks the life out of you, the players, the staff. You think, ‘Can that really happen?’ But there’s no blame culture on Freddie. He pushed himself to get back for this game after a slight niggle. When keepers make mistakes, you get punished like that.”
