Sheffield United's stardust in the grit makes the difference as unbeaten start goes on

Little has been made of the fact the Blades have kept three consecutive clean sheets without their captain and best player last season, centre-back Jack Robinson. On Friday they lost vice-captain and talismanic midfielder Oliver Arblaster to a training-ground ankle injury.

In terms of the opposition, it was a bad time for it to happen.

Derby County might be yet to win on their travels this season but it is a very small sample size and cheered on by a sold-out away end they nearly exploited what manager Paul Warne said was a weakness his analysts spotted in how Sheffield United set up at kick-off, then hit a post through Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

Revitalised under charismatic former Rotherham United manager Warne, they will be a serious prospect in this season's Championship for the first time in too long.

But in other respects, it was a good time to absorb another blow.

Their spirit has been stress-tested a lot lately – by Robinson's injury, by bouncing back after throwing two points away at home to Queens Park Rangers, by transfer window shenanigans (not entirely one way) which could have unsettled key players, by grinding out a 1-0 win over Watford, by a classic away win at Hull City, by rallying around Anel Ahmedhodzic as he publicly dealt with broken relationships nothing to do with his club but everything to do with a team and fanbase out to protect him, by constant uncertainty over who will own the club next week, next month, and by Sai Sanchdev's badly broken leg in the week.

So fragile at home to Brighton and Hove Albion (twice), Aston Villa and Arsenal in early 2024, they are tough cookies again, unbeaten in the league.

A 1-0 win was no great shock, but it needed a bit more than toughness and the fighting spirit Wilder showed getting booked for tackling Jerry Yates to try and retrieve the ball for a quick restart. This frugally-revamped squad has quality as well.

Parachute payments play such a distorting role in the Championship. They allow clubs relegated from the Premier League to hang onto players with top-flight quality. Attracting others with the same gifts to play second-tier football on second-tier wages is very difficult indeed.

So using theirs to standing firm when parachute-assisted Leeds United tried to snatch Gustavo Hamer was hugely significant.

"To keep your best players is key," said Wilder. "We lost a few (Jayden Bogle to Leeds, Oli McBurnie to Spain, Wes Foderingham, Will Osula, Daniel Jebbison and Cameron Archer back to the Premier League – Jebbison has since been loaned to Watford), and bought some good players in, but I just think the personality of the group is fabulous – and the supporters at the end were first class to roar us over the line."

The importance of the spirit and support cannot be stressed enough but the magic in Hamer's boots is vital too. He showed on Saturday his class extends beyond football.

When Ben Osborn fouled him on the edge of the area early in the second half, the free-kick was wide enough for goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom to set himself and his wall for a cross. He could not get over in time to stop the ball curling over his wall and into the top corner.

As Warne put it, Hamer "was one of only a few midfielders who could put it in the top corner from there."

Hamer pulled his No 8 shirt over his head to reveal an undershirt saying "MC 8" – reference to Derby-born Maddy Cusack who wore that number for the women's team until her death a year and a day earlier.

Tough as old boots they might be, but the best teams care for their own – ask Ahmedhodiz and Sachdev.

Asked if Hamer is the best player in the division Wilder replied: "He's got to be up there if he's scored four in six (league) games (he has) and the manner of his goals.

"All those teams that want to have good seasons need game-changers. I believe we'd (still) have got the result we wanted but big moments – I suppose that is a good way of putting it."

With the Blades having got a tighter grip in the second half, you always felt it would be decisive.

Alfie Gilchrist forced a tip-over, Ahmedhodzic a clearance by Eiran Cashin on the post and twice at the very end counter-attacks might have brought a goal too.

On for Jesurun Rak-Saki, who had a third-minute shot touched onto the bar by Zetterstrom, Andre Brooks slightly overhit the return when picked out by Kieffer Moore, then maybe forced Sydie Peck a smidgeon wide, but not so much he could not draw a near-post save.

A goal would have rewarded how Peck, preferred to summer signing Jamie Shackleton, filled Arblaster's boots on his first league start. Alongside him 2023-24 terrace villain Vinicius Souza wore the captain's armband, another sign of post-Premier League renewal and rehabilitation.

Stardust mixed with grit makes for a pretty potent combination.

Sheffield United: Cooper; Gilchrist (Seriki 66), Souttar, Ahmedhodzic, Burrows; Rak-Sakyi (Brooks 66), Peck, Souza, Hamer (McCallum 90+7); O'Hare (Brewster 77); Moore (Norrington-Davies 90+7). Unused substitutes: Shackleton, Davies, Campbell, Marsh.

Derby County: Zetterstrom, Nyambe (Phillips 74), Nelson, Cashin, Elder (Blackett-Taylor 81); Osborn (Harness 66); Yates, Adams, Goudmijn (Ward 81), Jackson; Mendez-Laing (Brown 74). Unused substitutes: Forsyth, Bradley, Collins, Vickers.

Referee: A Madley (Huddersfield).