Sheffield United embracing adversity of Premier League survival bid as they look to derail Arsenal title push

Chris Wilder has promised Sheffield United's supporters that their side will "go right to the end" in their bid for Premier League survival, despite it being dealt yet another blow earlier this week. The decision to reduce Everton's 10-point penalty for breaching financial rules has left United 11 points from safety, with 12 games to go.

The tasks don't get any easier, either, with title-chasing Arsenal next up at Bramall Lane on Monday evening on the back of scoring 15 goals in their last three Premier League games. United have conceded the same number in their last three outings on home soil but were much more competitive on Sunday when they lost 1-0 at Wolves in a game they could easily have earned at least a point.

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Even if United are destined to lose their Premier League status this season there is a wish and an obligation from the terraces for them to go down fighting - a challenge Wilder is sure that his players will accept. "Even against Brighton [in a 5-0 defeat underpinned by Mason Holgate's early red card] we were really competitive. We just got done at the end, down to 10 men and with a bit of fatigue.

"Of course that's got to be what underpins your football club and that has always been what underpins your football club; a fighting spirit and a little bit of a 'them against us' mentality. Any situation is always a level of pride and responsibility to the football club and the supporters, so we have to show that right the way through. And we will do for the integrity of the division as well – we’ll go right to the end.

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"We might have to suffer because of the nature of the league in certain games between now and the end of the season. But we still believe there's fight in us and we'll have some good days as well, but we have to believe there'll be more good days than bad days. The players and myself, from a mentality point of view, are positive and absolutely confident that we can pick results up in this league in the last 12 games of the season.

"It's no good talking about it, we need to go and produce those performance and get a lot of those things right. When you have someone sent off, you get punished and when you concede cheap goals you get punished. If you don’t get your gameplan right, you get punished. We have to make sure we get as close to everything massively spot on between now and the end of the season."

As a manager Wilder is no stranger to adversity and not many of his players have enjoyed anything but unbridled success in their careers, either. But as the old saying goes; tough times don't last, but tough people do. "People I bump into out and about are super positive," Wilder added. "I understand that's not from everybody and there’s a lot of opinion out there that we’re done and dusted.

"But you don't get to this level from a playing and managerial point of view without having to go through tough times. We understand tough times won't last forever. We'll have more tough times, no doubt about it, but it’s about how we recover. And when we have good days, we have to enjoy it."