EFL Championship REVIEW 13 Sep 2026: Wolves left Raul Jimenez out, sent him on, and he won it at Bramall Lane in the 90th minute

One Championship fixture on Sunday and it was settled by three men who started it on the bench. Sheffield United 0, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, the goal in the 90th minute, and every player involved in it had been a substitute an hour earlier.

Our models had made Sheffield United favourites at 40.8 per cent against 33.3 for the visitors and 25.8 for the draw. It was not a strong call and the set was split: the home baseline, league position, form and the table all pointed at Sheffield United, while the venue model, recent venue form and the market model pointed at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the market most emphatically at 44.1 per cent. The three that leaned away from Bramall Lane were the three that were right.

Cesar Peixoto had left Raul Jimenez out of his starting eleven for the first time this season. He sent him on in the 63rd minute alongside Jordan James, and followed them in the 70th with Thomas Doyle, Kieran Trippier and Toti. Twenty minutes later Trippier crossed, Doyle mis-hit his finish, and the ball ran to Jimenez at the far post to be swept in.

Jimenez and Trippier both joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on 1 July, the one returning from Fulham on a free and the other arriving from Newcastle United. The move that went the other way that summer was on the pitch against them: Matt Doherty, who left Wolverhampton Wanderers for Sheffield United on 20 July, came on in the 81st minute.

Chris Wilder's side had reason to feel it was harsh. Arblaster made his first start at Bramall Lane since late April, in an advanced role on the right, and finished the match in central defence after Phillips was withdrawn; Phillips himself was making a first Sheffield United start since 22 February. Sam McCallum was booked inside two minutes and Japhet Tanganga three minutes into the second half, with Ladislav Krejci booked for the visitors in the seventeenth.

Six minutes were added at the end. The goal came before them, and nothing came after.