Crucial Chris Wilder stat reveals Sheffield United result against Charlton Athletic this weekend

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Chris Wilder has been appointed as Sheffield United manager for the third time, having previously been at the helm from 2016 until 2021 and then from 2023 to 2025.

Sheffield United opted to remove Ruben Selles as manager of the club after he guided them to their worst start in the Championship for 30 years.

Now, to course-correct their season, the Blades have appointed Wilder as manager, only a matter of months after relieving him from his duties ahead of this campaign.

While there appears to be a rejuvenation around the club and hope that he could turn the club’s fortunes around and return them to the Premier League, something he almost achieved last season, one stat appears to be pointing to an opening defeat for Wilder and Sheffield United this weekend against Charlton Athletic.

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Chris Wilder has lost both his previous opening fixtures as Sheffield United manager

Chris Wilder will be beginning his third tenure as Sheffield United boss with a home fixture against Charlton Athletic in the Championship.

While Charlton have made a fairly decent start to life back in the Championship under Nathan Jones, there is an expectation that Sheffield United under Wilder can immediately secure a win and turn their fortunes around.

However, history would have other ideas, as in his first ever match as Blades boss, he suffered a 1-0 loss to Bolton Wanderers, and then in his second tenure, his opening fixture was a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in December 2023.

Chris Wilder is a confident operator and will believe that it will be third time lucky this time for him and Sheffield United, as he aims to secure a victory against Charlton this weekend in the Championship.

• READ MORE: Sheffield United take ‘seven-figure’ PSR hit after replacing Ruben Selles with Chris Wilder

All other stats point to a Sheffield United victory

While Chris Wilder’s record in opening matches as Sheffield United boss may be terrible, the other stats going into this weekend appear to point to a Blades victory.

Charlton are winless in their last six away matches against Yorkshire clubs, with their last victory coming against Rotherham in April 2022.

Meanwhile, Wilder won his last game in charge of Sheffield United against Charlton Athletic, when he guided the Blades to a 2-1 victory over the Addicks in March 2017, when both clubs were in League One.