That Sheffield United have lost three of their past four league games and still go into tonight's game with a four-point buffer over third-placed Middlesbrough says a lot about how well they started the season.
A Blades victory this evening would re-establish a seven-point gap to the chasers with just 11 games to go.
Hosts Reading, who were thumped 5-0 by Middlesbrough on Saturday, have worries both on and off the field.
The Royals could be hit with a points deduction by the EFL if they are found to have breached a business plan set out for them in 2021.