Sheffield United, Blackburn Claim Wins on Championship Season Opener

Sheffield United secured a 2-0 victory at Preston on Friday, marking a strong start to their Championship campaign as they aim to return to the Premier League. Blackburn also had a successful outing, defeating Derby 4-2, making Derby's return to the Championship a challenging one.

Sheffield United, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, began their promotion push with a win. Oliver Arblaster opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a deflected shot. Gustavo Hamer capitalized on a mistake by Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman in the second half to secure the win.

Blackburn, who narrowly avoided relegation to League One last season, proved too strong for Derby. Despite leaving Sammie Szmodics, last season's top scorer in the Championship, on the bench, Blackburn still delivered a commanding performance. Szmodics came off the bench in the second half to score and provide an assist.

Andreas Weimann and Yuki Ohashi also scored on their debuts for Blackburn, while Tyrhys Dolan opened the scoring. Curtis Nelson and Kane Wilson scored for Derby, who faced a tough start to life back in the Championship after their promotion from League One last season.