On the back of an impressive win over Manchester United, Chelsea will hit the road to square up against bottom-placed Sheffield United.
A lot needs to go their way for Sheffield United to survive in the English top-flight, but a win over Chelsea will surely be a huge boost for them. However, it won’t be easy given their recent form and the fact that the visitors are high on confidence following their incredible win last time out.
Sheffield United are rock bottom with just three wins in their 30 league games this season. They have accumulated a total of 15 points and are ten points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. While they do have a game in hand, surviving in the Premier League from this situation still seems unlikely.
However, the home team will hope they can get on a roll with an match-winning performance against the Blues. Since beating Luton Town at the start of February, they have featured in six matches and have suffered a defeat in four of those fixtures, with the other two ending in a draw. The Blades are heading into this on the back of a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool, and things do not really look good for them.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have not been at their best this season. They have been inconsistent right from the start. The Blues are tenth point on the points table with 43 points in their 29 outings. They are looking to put together a great run of positive results as they look to end the season on a high.
The Blues scripted an incredible comeback win over Manchester United in their last outing. Just when everyone thought it was over and they had suffered yet another defeat, the West London club bounced back thanks to two late injury-time goals by Cole Palmer. That win will surely give them a lot of confidence heading into this away fixture. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Sheffield United
The home team have a long list of absentees as Daniel Jebbison, Chris Basham, Rhian Brewster, Tom Davies, George Baldock, John Egan, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Max Lowe are all on the sidelines.
They do have a boost as Cameron Archer could make a return in this fixture as he is on the cusp of recovering from a calf issue. Gustavo Hamer, who picked up a knock midweek, should be available to feature in this fixture. While they did lose to Liverpool in their last outing, it was a high-spirited performance, and they could stick to the same XI for this fixture.
Sheffield United will go ahead with the 3-5-2 formation, where Ivo Grbic will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Mason Holgate, Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson. The trio will look to keep it tight at the back, and they will have the support of Jayden Bogle and Auston Trusty who will start as the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Vinicius Souza will start alongside Gustavo Hamer and Oliver Arblaster. The trio will look to ensure they do not end up getting outplayed by the Chelsea midfielders. In attack, Oliver McBurnie will start alongside Ben Brereton Diaz.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Grbic; Holgate, Robinson, Ahmedhodzic; Bogle, Arblaster, Hamer, Souza, Trusty; McBurnie, Brereton Diaz
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea will be without the services of Lesley Ugochukwu, Levi Colwill, Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, and Wesley Fofana. Meanwhile, the availability of Ben Chilwell and Robert Sanchez is a major doubt.
The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Djorjde Petrovic in goal. Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella should be the full-backs, while Axel Disasi should start alongside Benoit Badiashile in the heart of the defence.
Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will shield the backline and make sure they control the tempo of the game. Conor Gallagher will continue in the number 10 role, while Cole Palmer who has been on fire of late will feature on the flanks alongside Noni Madueke. The duo will provide width and look to create goal-scoring opportunities. Finally, Nicolas Jackson will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Madueke; Jackson
Key Stats
- Chelsea have won each of their last four fixtures against Sheffield United
- The reverse fixture ended 2-0 in favour of the Blues.
- Sheffield United have been winless since their 2-0 triumph over Luton Town on February 10.
- The Blues have conceded at least a goal in each of their last 11 away games in the league.
- Sheffield United have the worst defensive record at home this season having conceded 45 goals so far.
Player to Watch
Cole Palmer
Signing Cole Palmer from Manchester City could go down as one of the best decisions that the new ownership has made since taking charge. In his first season at the club, the 21-year-old England international has featured in 36 matches and has contributed towards 31 goals.
He has found the back of the net on 19 occasions. Palmer has helped them win multiple games on his own, and the Blues will hope he comes good once again they square up against Sheffield United.
Prediction
Sheffield United 1-3 Chelsea
Sheffield United have been winless in their last six games. They have only won three matches all season long in the Premier League and have not been playing the kind of football one expects from them.
While the Blades will look to fight with everything they have, it might still not be enough against a Chelsea outfit that will be high on confidence following their exceptional performances against Manchester United. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the visitors.
