The pigeon somehow finding its way into the Bramall Lane press room felt like a fitting reminder of the fluttering witnessed by Mauricio Pochettino’s gang of multi-million pound players, with Sunday’s surrender the latest example in a season that has been plagued by softness.
Chelsea had chances in stoppage time to clear the lines against the team at the top of the Premier League. Instead, they watched as Gustavo Hamer and Cameron Archer won headers for Mykhailo Mudryk and Trevoh Chalobah, leaving Oli McBurnie to equalize for a Sheffield United side that never said die.
McBurnie’s equalizer ensured Chelsea have now conceded at least twice in their last seven consecutive games. It’s a worrying record for a team trying to think big, and this collapse did little to refute the critics who claim they have become the Robin Hood of the Premier League.
They say Chelsea’s last six games encapsulate the futile practice of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. They frustrate Manchester City and then draw against Brentford. They beat Newcastle and then draw against Burnley. They beat Manchester United in a dramatic match before drawing, with Pochettino admitting afterwards they got what they deserved.
“Of course they were tired, but today that’s no excuse not to win the game in the end,” Pochettino said when asked about Thursday’s thriller with United at Stamford Bridge, a match in which Cole Palmer scored in the 10th and 11th minutes of the match. injury time. ‘Of course they could be tired. That’s why we have an incredible training center that offers everything: food, vitamins, recovery, pool, masseurs, everything you know.
Chelsea thought they had secured victory over Sheffield United with Noni Madueke’s goal
However, Oli McBurnie scored dramatically in the 93rd minute to secure a point for the Blades
Thiago Silva was left unmarked as he struck the ball from ten yards to give the visitors the lead
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‘But then it’s about being competitive. If you watch football like us, 52 years old, you see very quickly whether the team is ready to compete or not. That happened today, maybe this group is not yet mature enough to play matches every three days.’
It looked like Noni Madueke’s second-half goal would prove to be the winner for Chelsea, but Chris Wilder praised his players’ desire, saying: ‘The boys went all out against the top players. In the end we went for it. The players’ performance ignited the audience.’
Pochettino made some tactical adjustments, placing Madueke on the right with Palmer in the middle, behind Nicolas Jackson and Conor Gallagher on the left. It was a powerful run-in from Madueke that led to Chelsea scoring after eleven minutes.
After Ivo Grbic was forced into a save, Chelsea were left with a corner. Gallagher’s outswinging cross landed at the feet of an unmarked Thiago Silva, the 39-year-old making no mistake as he volleyed from 10 yards. It was embarrassing to defend against United, even though Axel Disasi had acted as a nightclub bouncer by stopping Silva’s marker from following him.
After United’s gift, Silva almost returned the favor when his back pass for Djordje Petrovic was too short. McBurnie intercepted the ball before setting up Ben Brereton Diaz, who would have scored had Moises Caicedo’s back end not been in the way.
United began to believe they could trouble the visitors when Hamer skinned Caicedo before forcing Petrovic into a diving save. Chelsea did not do enough to change the new momentum of this match when the equalizer arrived in the 32nd minute.
It involved Hamer nutmegging Caicedo with a pass behind Cucurella, who was unaware of Jayden Bogle’s run. Petrovic thought a cross was coming when he stepped off his line, but the ball bounced off him and settled into the net. Chelsea’s clean sheet was extinguished for the twelfth away game in a row in the Premier League.
United took the match to Chelsea. They came close to taking the lead in the 49th minute when McBurnie headed wide after outsmarting Trevoh Chalobah. In the 53rd, Hamer fired a 25-meter rocket that landed in the side netting.
Palmer was left in pain after a terrible challenge from Jack Robinson. It was late, hasty and potentially dangerous. Referee Robert Jones showed yellow instead of red.
Jayden Bogle fooled the goalkeeper into thinking a cross would come for his goal in the first half
Mauricio Pochettino made late changes for Chelsea but could not prevent the equalizer
Blades star McBurnie only had to beat Djordje Petrovic in stoppage time to make it 2-2
Palmer was involved in Chelsea regaining the lead in the 66th minute when he passed to Madueke, who curled in Auston Trusty. That opened the goal for him as he beat Grbic from 20 yards. United broke the record for most goals conceded in a season in Premier League history.
Hungry for an own goal, Palmer forced Grbic to tip over from 30 yards, but that proved to be his last contribution as Carney Chukwuemeka was introduced.
When five minutes of stoppage time were announced, Pochettino made further changes in an attempt to confirm the win. But then United scored when Hamer’s header was flicked home by Archer, leaving McBurnie on target to complete Chelsea’s collapse.