Sheffield Wednesday could set two unwanted records in Championship fixture vs Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday will be targeting a first home win of the season when they face Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough on Monday night.
Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping to bring 2025 to a close with a first home win of the season when they welcome Blackburn Rovers to Hillsborough this evening.
The Owls, who had their trip to Ewood Park to face Blackburn earlier this month abandoned due to the weather, halted their run of three successive home defeats on Boxing Day, drawing 2-2 with Hull City.
Although Wednesday were twice pegged back by their Yorkshire counterparts, their performance offered plenty of encouragement, with some of their play in the first half the best they have produced all season.
Ahead of their tussle with Rovers, who drew 0-0 with Middlesbrough at the Riverside last time out, here are five pre-match talking points:
Will there be any changes?
Playing for the second time in just over 72 hours will mark a significant challenge for Wednesday’s depleted squad. Manager Henrik Pedersen had to name 13 players under the age of 21 in his matchday squad against Hull, meaning goalkeeper Ethan Horvath was the only senior player among the substitutes.
With the Owls’ injury problems continuing to mount, it means Pedersen does not have the luxury of being able to make wholesale changes to keep his players as fresh as possible amid the chaotic schedule over the Christmas period.
The Dane, speaking after the draw with Hull, offered no suggestion that any players who missed the Boxing Day clash will be back in contention for the visit of Rovers, meaning he looks set to pick from the same group of players again.
If that turns out to be the case, Pedersen will not be able to bring any senior players into the starting XI that missed out on a starting berth on Friday. Youngsters Rio Shipston and Favour Onukwuli came off the bench against the Tigers and may be considered for starts, while the likes of Reece Johnson and Will Grainger may also come into Pedersen’s thinking.
Owls in danger of setting two unwanted records
After producing an encouraging performance against Hull, Wednesday will be determined to go one better and secure their first home win of the campaign tonight. The Owls competed really well on Boxing Day, producing a gutsy performance that was more than worthy of the point they earned.
Unfortunately, the Owls’ display was not quite enough to end their long wait for a home win. Wednesday last sampled the taste of three points at Hillsborough on Easter Monday, beating Middlesbrough 2-1.
That was the second of only two wins the Owls have clinched at Hillsborough this year, meaning they have amassed just 13 points from a possible 69 on home soil in 2025. To avoid setting an unwanted Championship record, Wednesday must beat Rovers, as the lowest ever home points tally set in a calendar year in the Championship currently stands at 15 - a record set by QPR in 2023.
Additionally, Wednesday also need to beat Rovers to avoid becoming the first team in second tier history to fail to win any of their opening 13 home league games. They equalled Portsmouth’s record of failing to win any of their first 12 home games in a second tier season, set back in 1975/76, against Hull.
Searching for a clean sheet
Wednesday’s struggles at Hillsborough throughout 2025 have stemmed from their struggles to keep a clean sheet. Of course, Wednesday have had an excuse for their troubles this season, but they also struggled for results in S6 in the second half of last season under former manager Danny Röhl.
As a result of their S6 struggles, it is now more than a year since Wednesday last kept a clean sheet at Hillsborough in league or cup. They last stopped the opposition from scoring when they beat Stoke City 2-0 on December 21 last year, meaning they are on the cusp of going a full calendar year without keeping a single clean sheet at home.
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Although it would have very little impact on the outcome of Wednesday’s campaign, the prospect of ending the year with a rare home win, accompanied with an ever rarer clean sheet, would be most welcome.
Blackburn’s away record
Although Rovers only sit four points above the relegation zone, their away record has been streets ahead of their Ewood Park record so far this term. Of the 26 points they have amassed so far this term, 17 of them have been earned on the road, meaning only four teams have won more points than them away from home than them in the Championship this season.
Earning a very respectable point against Middlesbrough on Boxing Day, Rovers will arrive at Hillsborough having lost just one of their last six away games, winning three. Recording five away wins in total in the Championship so far this season, only table-toppers Coventry City have won more games on their travels (six).
Cadamarteri looking to build on Hull goal
After bringing an end to his run of 18 games without a goal on Boxing Day, Bailey Cadamarteri will be hungry for another this evening. The striker, who scored his very first Championship goal against Blackburn back in December 2023, scored Wednesday’s second goal against the Tigers on Friday, precisely chipping goalkeeper Ivor Pandur with a composed finish.
Producing his best performance of the season in the process, the Jamaican international will be eager to build on what was just his second goal of the campaign and his first at Hillsborough since March 2024.
Only once in his Championship career has he previously scored in successive games, meaning he will be looking to achieve that particular feat for a second time.