Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder urges his Blades players to turn an 'outstanding news story' into a brilliant one

The Blades have been the top-flight success story in a thrilling 2019-20 campaign - and find themselves in sixth place ahead of Saturday's trip to Arsenal.

The tenth-placed Gunners are four places and four points between Wilder's side, who have surpassed all expectations thus far in a campaign when most observers expected them to be firm relegation contenders before a ball was kicked.

But despite the Blades' achievements thus far, a restless Wilder is striving for more.

He said: "It has an outstanding news story so far. I would love it to be a brilliant story at the end of the season.

"We are a newly promoted side coming up and (with) the way we have done it from a financial point of view.

"It is only a story now. The key is to continue it on for the next 16 or 17 games.

"For us to find ourselves in sixth at this stage of the season is remarkable. But I am not into ‘at this stage’. I am into where you are at the end of the season."

United face an Arsenal side in transition under Mikel Arteta, but despite it being early days in the reign of the Spaniard, Wilder believes the Gunners are developing a tougher sheen.

He added: "Always, there is a bounce of a new manager coming into a football club. Especially one as respected as Mikel, with his work at another club (Manchester City).

"Statistically, we have looked at them and they are doing more. They are more difficult to break down.

"They are tougher, but they have still got the flair players they always have. Like Manchester United, they might be in transition. But it is still Arsenal away at the Emirates.

"Whoever they bring in, they are going to be world class players. They have invested historically and recently.

"They have got some great players, whether they have been brought in or through the academy."