Both sides knocking the ball around nicely when they have it. Tackles committed. Proper football match this.

Villa fans currently basking in their lead and the misfortune of their second city rivals Birmingham. Villa are in the promotion mix and in front here, City bottom. Every reason to crow.

Sheffield United on red alert at the back.

Sam Bentham: Wolves - Utter filth. X-rated.

Derby fan Gregory P: Hope

Short but sweet Gregory P. Derby are up to third following today's 3-0 win against Millwall.

Well, well, well. I was in the middle of writing an entry about what kind of approach these two teams will make when we got a spot-kick.

Question well and truly answered. Villa bang up for it. Albert Adomah had already caused a few problems before the penalty was given.

His pace is really testing the Blades. He crosses for Keinan Davis but it's overhit and away to safety.

Phew! What an opening.

Good crowd assembled at Villa Park for a game that has often been a top flight encounter.

Not so today, but it has a 'big time' feel to it. Villa to kick-off.

Referee Simon Hooper draws on his whistle. We're underway.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa bring in Keinan Davis for the injured Josh Onomah who has a cut foot. Jack Grealish gets a rare start for the Villans too.

Meanwhile ex-Birmingham City players Mark Duffy and Clayton Donaldson might get a hot reception, they start for Sheffield United.

Aston Villa: Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Jedinak, Taylor, Snodgrass, Hourihane, Whelan, Adomah, Grealish, Davis

Subs: Steer, De Laet, Hutton, Elphick, Bjarnason, Agbonlahor, Hogan

Sheff Utd: Moore, Baldock, Stevens, O'Connell, Stearman, Carter-Vickers, Basham, Lundstram, Duffy, Clarke, Donaldson

Subs: Blackman, Sharp, Wright, Lavery, Heneghan, Lafferty, Carruthers

Image source, Rex Features

Teams are in the tunnel. The lush green turf of Villa Park awaits. It's the last game of the EFL pre-Christmas programme.

Let's go!

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United were top when they thrashed Burton Albion 3-1 at the Pirelli Stadium on 17 November...

However, the rarified air of the upper Championship reaches proved a bit too much for them and they've gone five games without a win since, including three straight defeats.

Chris Wilder's side have the league's top scorer in Leon Clarke, and the skilful John Lundstram leading the team at the heart of midfield.

The big stage is theirs tonight, if they have the mettle.

Surely no one can stop Wolves heading into the Premier League now? They seem unstoppable.

Aston Villa can move back up to fifth with a win. Sheffield United are down to seventh, also on 37 points, but would climb back into the play-offs with victory.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce ended his playing career at Sheffield United and went on to manage the club - his first appointment in the game.

He's no longer quite so fresh faced, actually he's now one of the elder statesmen.

His nous is starting to show at Villa, he's an expert at building successful teams at this level as he did at Birmingham, Wigan and Hull City.

No win in three for Villa but this is a big chance to see off a rival and take precious points.

Now we've reached the halfway stage of the season, how would you sum up your side's campaign so far?

We're after your one-line mid-term reports via #bbcefl on social media.

As Delia Smith once said, let's be 'aving you.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa bring in Keinan Davis for the injured Josh Onomah who has a cut foot.

Meanwhile ex-Birmingham City players Mark Duffy and Clayton Donaldson might get a hot reception, they start for Sheffield United.

Aston Villa: Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Jedinak, Taylor, Snodgrass, Hourihane, Whelan, Adomah, Grealish, Davis

Subs: Steer, De Laet, Hutton, Elphick, Bjarnason, Agbonlahor, Hogan

Sheff Utd: Moore, Baldock, Stevens, O'Connell, Stearman, Carter-Vickers, Basham, Lundstram, Duffy, Clarke, Donaldson

Subs: Blackman, Sharp, Wright, Lavery, Heneghan, Lafferty, Carruthers

Image source, PA

Phew. What an afternoon. Some corking games. Doesn't stop there... we've a cracker to be pulled this evening to complete our line-up, as the two teams in fifth and sixth before today's games kick-off go head-to-head at Villa Park.

Aston Villa and Sheffield United are divided only by goal difference, with identical points tallies.

Two famous names, illustrious histories and passionate fanbases, with memories of the top flight still relatively fresh in the mind. Should be a good one.

Tip of the hat to Brian Deane and Paul McGrath up there. Two figures from these clubs of my childhood era.

That seemed pretty frantic in the second half. Late goals everywhere.

Let's hope there is more of the same at Villa Park.

Matt Newsum is in the hotseat to take you through that one.

Stay with us because now we'll have reaction to the 15:00 GMT action and full text commentary on Aston Villa v Sheff Utd (17:30).

Image source, Rex Features

In the second tier...

• Leaders Wolves win again, but Cardiff lose at Bolton
• Derby win 3-0 to go third, as Bristol City draw to also gain on Cardiff
• Burton earn a second straight away win
• Sunderland are held by 10-man Birmingham
• Forest draw a game for the first time this season
• Fulham, Leeds and 'Boro also win

• Accrington 2-3 Crawley
• Barnet 0-2 Cheltenham
• Colchester 1-1 Port Vale
• Crewe 0-3 Swindon
• Forest Green 0-1 Carlisle
• Luton 2-0 Grimsby
• Mansfield 2-1 Morecambe
• Newport 0-0 Lincoln
• Notts Co 3-3 Cambridge
• Stevenage 5-1 Chesterfield
• Yeovil 3-1 Exeter

• Northampton 1-1 Blackburn
• AFC Wimbledon 2-1 Bradford
• Bristol Rovers 0-1 Doncaster Rovers
• Charlton 1-1 Blackpool
• Oxford 0-7 Wigan (SEVEN)
• Peterborough 3-0 Bury
• Plymouth 4-1 Oldham
• Rochdale 1-1 Walsall
• Rotherham 2-1 MK Dons
• Scunthorpe 3-1 Southend
• Shrewsbury 2-0 Portsmouth

Relief for Garry Monk, despair for Carlos Carvalhal as Middlesbrough edge Sheffield Wednesday with a second-half comeback.

And that, folks, is the half-way stage in the EFL season!

Let's round-up the scores...