Neil Warnock reveals exactly what Burnley FC and Leeds United will have thought after Sheffield United defeat | OneFootball

Neil Warnock provided his thoughts on the race for automatic promotion from the Championship.

The race for automatic promotion took another twist last night after Sheffield United's defeat to Hull City at Bramall Lane, with Neil Warnock expecting Burnley and Leeds United to be delighted with the result.

Warnock was in the Sky studio to provide his verdict on his former side, who were defeated 3-0 on their own turf to dent their promotion credentials. Gaining promotion from the second tier to the Premier League is arguably one of the most important achievements for any EFL club, which is the goal for the Blades, Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland automatically.

Not only does it provide the financial windfall of Premier League revenue, but it also elevates a club’s stature, attracting better players and sponsorship deals, as well as the ability to establish a club in the elite. For clubs like the current top four and more — who are well-established in English football — returning to the top-flight is about more than just finances, as it is also about feeling at home and in their rightful place among the very best English football has to offer.

The 2024/25 race for automatic promotion is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory. Daniel Farke’s Leeds and Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United have led the way for much of it, with both sides showing consistency and quality for the most part thus far, but Burnley and Sunderland's recent resurgence has made things much closer at the top.

Neil Warnock reacts to Sheffield United defeat at Bramall Lane

With a commanding win at Bramall Lane, Matt Crooks opened the scoring just six minutes into his first start for the Tigers, hitting an impressive first-time finish from 25 yards after a swift counter-attack.

Despite the Blades applying pressure after the break, Hull extended their lead on their first real attack of the second half when Matty Jacob tapped in Cody Drameh's low cross from close range.

Harrison Burrows then inadvertently turned Joao Pedro's cross into his own net late on, securing a third consecutive away win for Ruben Selles' side, who climb out of the relegation zone.

The main damage, however, is to the Blades. They missed the chance to go top and remain second, but the race for automatic promotion now shifts to Leeds and third-placed Burnley, who clash at Turf Moor on Monday.

On that game, Warnock explained how both sides will be feeling after events at Bramall Lane. Lee Sobot of The Yorkshire Evening Post posted the comments via his X account:

Advantage handed to Leeds and Burnley

In many ways, Warnock is correct. A draw would now be a decent one for both sides following Hull's shock win. However, a win for either team could be absolutely massive at this stage.

There is still time in the transfer window for each club to become stronger and that will have a large part to play in what happens next during the run-in. You would imagine that clubs targeting an automatic finish, such as Leeds, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Sunderland, will be identifying the January transfer window as a strong opportunity to source additional quality and depth.

They cannot afford to be totally inactive in the market and will know the importance of getting the January transfer window right this time around; and some sides aren't hanging around in January as well. That includes Sheffield United, who will hope to bounce back quickly.