The Blades moved eight points clear of third-placed Blackburn Rovers by beating Coventry City on Boxing Day, temporarily moving level on points with leaders Burnley – who responded to the challenge by shrugging off Birmingham and winning 3-0 last night to regain their own three-point advantage over the Blades.
A host of other clubs are chasing down the leading two and hoping to secure their place in the play-offs while at the other end, sides are desperately bidding to avoid dropping down into League One.
There will be plenty more twists and turns to come in a division as competitive as it is unpredictable – and the data boffins at FiveThirtyEight have applied their detailed statistical model to the Championship in a bid to determine how the final table will look come May, giving each side a percentage chance of relegation or promotion.
Here's how, in reverse order, they believe the Championship table will finish come the end of the season. But will it play out that way?
9. 17th Stoke City
60 points. Relegation chances: 7%. Play offs: 9%. Promoted: 3% Photo: Nathan Stirk
10. 16th Sunderland
62 points. Relegation chances: 4%. Play offs: 12%. Promoted: 3% Photo: Tony Marshall
11. 15th Reading
62 points. Relegation chances: 5%. Play offs: 11%. Promoted: 3% Photo: Bryn Lennon
12. 14th Birmingham
62 points. Relegation chances: 4%. Play offs: 14%. Promoted: 5% Photo: Tony Marshall