Sheffield United switched formations from a successful 4-1-4-1, which was victorious over Hull City, to a more restrained 4-4-1-1 against Derby County, who kept the same formation as their last contest with a 4-3-3 minus the inclusion of David Ozoh who is out with an injury.
It was a relatively uneventful match up which saw only one goal, it came from a set piece with Gustavo Hamer delivering a free kick into the top right corner in the 53rd minute of the second half.
Derby appeared to test United as best they could, including a woodwork strike from Nathaniel Mendez-Lang, yet that would be the closest they got in the contest. Sheffield United held the majority of possession and shots on and off target which led to a confident performance.
Sheffield United make it three wins in their last three games
After what is a season to not be remembered in the premier league last year, the Blades are eagerly proving they can earn their way back up to the top flight of English football.
Saturday's three point addition over Derby County made it a three game winning streak for Chris Wilder's side against some very respectable teams in Watford and Hull prior to this one.
A total of zero goals were conceded by the Blades who remained sharp in-between the sticks and defensively as well, steering away all 19 shots across the three matches.
This clean sheet tally being increased over Derby is an excellent indicator of how Sheffield United intend to carry on the season which is by spending as little time back in the championship as possible, wins like this are exactly what's needed.
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Away fixtures prove to be a struggle for Derby
It is no stranger to fans of the Derbyshire club that the away form of the squad is often something that can cause predicaments in times of desperation, in times where every point counts.
In previous seasons this has been most apparent, towards the end of the season when looking for promotion such lacklustre performances early on in the season can have catastrophic effects.
After this 1-0 loss, Derby County have now lost all three of their away fixtures with a combined result of 7-3. As a result of this, Derby County fans are sure to become more worried as they do not want their beloved club falling back into old habits of poor performances away from home in the teams first season back in the Championship.
There is no disputing that Sheffield United deserved the win and outperformed their opponents however, with only two shots against them, they were not tested enough to be overly glorified.
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A masterclass of goalkeeping
The stand out Michael Cooper has put on a solid showing in his past three starts in goal, facing multitudes of challenges including various one on ones, different set pieces and strikes from outside the box, however after claiming yet another clean sheet against Derby it has now been three for three clean sheets for Michael.
The 24-year-old has managed to maintain all five shots on target with ease, the low number over three games is in recognition of a solid defensive core as well.
Michael Cooper was signed very recently and is already proving his skillset can be very valuable in a promising Sheffield United side, it will be interesting to see how this performance will go throughout the season.
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Paul Warne marks his 400th game
Although it wasn't the result that was desired to mark such an occasion, it is still an impressive milestone to accomplish.
Saturday's contest against Sheffield United saw Paul Warne take on his 400th game for the club in his managerial role. Maintaining a side who were able to grab a solid promotion and are able to still compete in the championship is a real proud moment for any manager.
So far it has been a 50/50 performance from Paul Warne's side achieving three wins and three losses after this recent fall to Sheffield, which can act as a catalyst for Derby County to further their wins and continue to climb up the table.
Derby face Norwich City on the 28th of September which will be a crucial test as Norwich come in just below Derby in the table at 11th on eight points, with the Rams on nine points, so it will be all to play for.
