That’s your lot, then. Thanks for reading this MBM!
Chris Wilder’s verdict. “Poor goals from our point of view ... the second goal and fourth are avoidable ... we gave away poor goals to world class players ... world-class players will punish you ... there was an obvious block [for the third goal] and with the level of scrutiny these days you’d think somebody would have seen that ... the second is a mistake by Aaron [Ramsdale] ... it’s a scruffy goal ... the quick succession of three and four was disappointing ... we talked about gambling late on, I keep talking about staying in the game ... it’s 2-1 and we had a bit of the ball but it was disappointing and the game quickly went away from us ... we have to get on with it ... our fate will not be decided by Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea ... it’ll be decided in the lead-up to Christmas, the ten games ... you have to quickly clear your head ... we have to work our way through it, and we’re sure we will.”
Frank Lampard speaks to Sky. “Sheffield United are a really strong team ... they’re very good at taking momentum in games ... but once the goal goes in, our reaction was important, and the team was spot on ... it’s a work in progress but I saw a lot of it today ... great signs, but we need to keep it going ... for Ziyech to hit the ground running is a great sign ... we have competition ... now we’re seeing some of the work and it was encouraging to see those signs ... the season is long and I will keep my feet on the ground ... every game is challenging.”
There’s post-match managerial yammering still to come. But Jacob Steinberg’s report has landed, so here it is!
Man-of-the-match Hakim Ziyech speaks. “We played a good game ... we started a little sloppy but after 0-1 we controlled the game ... we did well and created a lot of chances ... I feel comfortable here with the team and the squad and I’m really happy. ”
Last season, United came back from two goals down in this fixture. The point they earned was an early-season statement of intent: they weren’t just in the Premier League to make up the numbers. The result also suggested Chelsea weren’t ready to take a tilt at the title. This time round, the mood music is all different. Chelsea look genuine contenders with Hakim Ziyech pulling their strings. United by contrast look bereft of confidence, uncertain up front and wobbly at the back, where Dean Henderson is a big loss. They’ve had a difficult run of fixtures, mind: the international break has come at exactly the right time. An opportunity to regroup.
FULL TIME: Chelsea 4-1 Sheffield United
Hakim Ziyech is a wonderful player. Chelsea go above Leicester into third place. Sheffield United remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.
90 min +2: The corner’s no good. It matters not. This has been a very impressive performance from Chelsea, albeit against a pretty toothless side lacking in confidence.
90 min +1: In the first of three added minutes, Mount creams a rising shot towards the top left. It’s swerving all over the place, and Ramsdale does well to fingertip over for a corner.
90 min: Lowe and Osborn shuttle the ball in from the left to tee up Osborn, whose laboured shot is deflected out for a corner. That corner proves to be a waste of time.
89 min: Chelsea are happy to run out the clock.
88 min: Zouma deals with the second one. Mendy has had absolutely nothing to do in this second half.
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87 min: Before the set piece can be taken, Werner makes way for Giroud. Then the corner’s whipped to the far post. Abraham knocks it behind for another.
86 min: United string a few passes together, and suddenly McBurnie has a little space inside the Chelsea box on the left. His cross is blocked out for a corner. A chance to reduce the deficit?
84 min: Werner’s overly ambitious backflick allows McBurnie and McGoldrick to power off in tandem down the left. But the move peters out apologetically. United started well, but little has gone right for them since McGoldrick’s opener. That seems a long time ago now.
82 min: That’s eight goals already this season for Werner in all competitions, and there’s a sense he hasn’t quite hit top form for his new club yet. Goodness knows how well he’ll do when he really finds his feet.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-1 Sheffield United (Werner 80)
No mistake this time! Lowe tries to whip the ball away from Kante. A close-range cannon sends the ball towards his own goal, down the middle. Werner is through again, and this time puts his laces through it. Ramsdale had no chance.
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78 min: It should be four. Ziyech, quarterbacking from deep, flies a glory pass down the middle to release Werner. The striker should score, but in lobbing Ramsdale sends his effort wide right. United’s defence was all over the show there.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Sheffield United (Silva 77)
Ziyech is some player. He floats an inviting inswinger towards the near post. Silva nips into some space, and eyebrows a dainty flick across Ramsdale and into the top left. Game over!
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76 min: A free kick for Chelsea out near the right-hand corner flag. Ziyech to whip it in.
75 min: Berge is booked for trying to remove Kante’s shirt, a proper cartoon yank, a fistful of material, and a brazen method of stopping the Chelsea midfielder breaking into a world of space. At least he has the good grace not to complain about the yellow card, a scrap of dignity retained.
73 min: Chelsea pass and probe, probe and pass.
71 min: Kovacic has twisted his ankle and hobbles off. Jorginho takes his place.
70 min: United looked so bright during the early exchanges. They’ve been extremely poor ever since conceding the equaliser. But for all that, they’re still in this game.
68 min: A loose Silva pass is eagerly latched onto by Osborn, who races down the right but can only loop harmlessly into Mendy’s hands.
66 min: Ziyech dances along the front of the United box, right to left, and tees up Kovacic, who whistles a daisycutter inches wide of the left-hand post. Ramsdale, at full stretch, had it covered.
64 min: Ziyech is illegally stopped as he makes his way down the middle. A free kick 35 yards out, just to the left of centre. James’s eyes have lit up. He hits a rising swerver towards the top left. Ramsdale punches clear, but again not with total certainty. He doesn’t look like a keeper playing with too much confidence right now.
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63 min: A double change by Sheffield United, as Brewster and Norwood make way for McBurnie and Osborn.
62 min: Lundstram has an opportunity to send McGoldrick into acres down the left, but his attempt to thread a pass along the channel is no good. McGoldrick cocks his head back in impotent frustration. He was in a good position to cause Chelsea problems there.
60 min: Stevens took a whack during that scramble, and he stays down for treatment. He’s up again soon enough, but not looking particularly happy.
58 min: United are desperately fighting to stay in this game. A corner’s only half cleared. Abraham nearly gets a shot away amid a penalty-box melee. Kovacic fires low from the left. Ramsdale, who has looked uncomfortable on a few occasions today, fumbles what should be an easy low gather. Stevens boots clear to save his keeper’s blushes.
57 min: Ziyech glides in from the right and curls towards the top left. That’s heading for the top left, Ramsdale never getting there. But Egan does extremely well to launch himself at the shot and eyebrow it over for a corner.
56 min: It’s attack versus defence. Chelsea are utterly dominant now. Ziyech conducting. Abraham nearly bustles clear down the middle, but the ball doesn’t come out from under his feet.
54 min: Chelsea continue to exercise full control.
52 min: On the touchline, McBurnie performs a few stretches. We might see him soon, on account of Brewster having touched the ball five times so far this evening, and two of those touches inside his own half.
50 min: Chelsea get back on the ball and pass it around for a bit. Just happy to nix any early second-half Wilder-inspired momentum.
48 min: That close shave jolts United into life, and Lowe makes way down the left before fizzing a dangerous cross into the Chelsea box. Nobody in red and white is close enough to react. Scores in a couple of parallel universes: 3-1, 2-2.
47 min: A long ball down the Chelsea right. Stevens heads weakly back towards his own box, allowing Kovacic to tear clear. He should score, but hesitates, allowing Basham to save the day with a last-ditch slide. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
Sheffield United get the second half underway. No changes.
Earlier today in the Premier League ...
HALF TIME: Chelsea 2-1 Sheffield United
Chelsea have conceded a goal at long last, but they’ve sparkled in attack and will be pretty happy with the way this game is now going. United will take succour from the memory of being 2-0 down at this stage here last season, but ended up with a precious point.
45 min: There will be two added minutes. “I hate to disagree with New York resident Peter Mendelsund,” writes South Carolina resident Mac Millings, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump had been working on a VAR system of his own - Votes All Reversed.” For some reason the Buttertendo springs to mind.
43 min: Baldock whistles the corner straight through the Chelsea six-yard box. Mendy looked a bit uncertain of his bearings there. He’s better several seconds later, gathering Lundstram’s speculative shot by the foot of his right-hand post.
42 min: United throw a few people forward for the first time in a while, and force a mistake from Kante, who concedes a corner out on the left.
40 min: The ball’s worked out to Ziyech, just to the right of the D. He launches a low shot that’s hit with venom but easily blocked. Sheffield United could do with hearing the half-time whistle and regrouping.
39 min: Mount has been working away efficiently. He wins a corner down the left. Ziyech takes and hits long. There’s some head tennis. Then Chilwell prods towards the bottom right. Ramsdale turns around the post, just in time.
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37 min: Egan is booked for a desperate tug on Werner, who was making his way down the left with great purpose.
36 min: This has been a really impressive response to falling behind by Chelsea. Anything Manchester United can do at Everton, huh?
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Sheffield United (Chilwell 34)
The corner’s played back down the wing for Ziyech, who hoicks long. The ball drops at the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Ramsdale comes out, flaps and misses, allowing Chilwell to let the ball hit him and fly home from a couple of yards. What an assist by the sensational Ziyech, though big question marks about the keeping there.
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34 min: James delivers a low cross-cum-shot into the box from the right. Ramsdale scrappily turns the ball round the post for a corner. From which ...
33 min: United had started fairly confidently going forward, causing plenty of problems down their right. Now they’re offering very little in attack. Thing is, the way Chelsea have started to come at them, it may be their best method of defence.
31 min: They cause bedlam all right! Ziyech whips it in fiercely. The ball’s swinging towards the far corner. Ramsdale paws at it with great uncertainty. The ball breaks to Werner, who sticks out a leg and, faced with a tight angle, fires an instant shot towards the top left. It comes off the underside of the bar and away. What a reaction strike that would have been.
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30 min: Lowe is slightly harshly penalised for stopping Kovacic’s gallop down the right. A free kick and a chance to cause bedlam in the United box.
29 min: Chelsea continue to stroke it about. “I haven’t missed a weekend of EPL Football since they started televising you lot in the US,” begins New York resident Peter Mendelsund. “But as we only just now have learned that our democracy is safe, I’m making an exception. Going to go dance in the streets now. I don’t think VAR can take this one away from us.”
27 min: Chelsea look much happier now. The passing a bit crisper, more confident. They’re moving the ball about nicely. Silva sprays a glorious crossfield pass to James on the right. James should do better with the final ball, and Stevens intercepts and clears. Nice move, though.
25 min: United try to bounce straight back, winning a free kick out on the left. Norwood swings it into a crowded box, but James clears bravely with boots flying hither and yon. The whistle goes, the pressure is released. Good game, this.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Sheffield United (Abraham 23)
Kovacic passes long down the right. Ziyech reaches the ball on the byline and cuts it back sharply for Abraham, who miskicks a little into the ground, but nevertheless threads a diagonal bouncer into the bottom left! Not his sweetest strike, but it’s all about the accuracy.
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22 min: Lowe creams a no-backlift goalwards from 25 yards. A rising effort that’s easy enough for Mendy to gather, but a decent strike nevertheless, given the lack of space and time on offer.
21 min: Frank Lampard maybe not so much. It’s pretty comfortable for United right now.
19 min: Another ambitious crossfield pass by Ziyech flies harmlessly towards nobody. Chris Wilder will be extremely happy with the way his team have started this game.
18 min: Chelsea stroke the ball around the middle of the park for a while. All a bit ponderous and sterile. They’re much better when they pile forward with the handbrake off. Ziyech tries to get something going with a diagonal pass into the United box from the right ... but there’s nobody in blue there.
16 min: Some space for Mount, who curls in a cross-cum-shot from the left. It’s another easy snaffle for Ramsdale.
14 min: It’s a bit early for Chelsea to be getting frustrated, but Abraham loses the place with the lino over the award of a throw. Probably best to rein it in a bit, plenty of time to recover, just as Liverpool did while trailing the Blades at Anfield.
13 min: Chelsea have been a little taken aback by Sheffield United’s proactive approach. Abraham tries to respond with a sashay and a swivel down the inside left, but his low shot is easy pickings for Ramsdale.
11 min: There goes Mendy’s hope of becoming only the fourth keeper in history to start his Premier League career with four consecutive clean sheets. He’d have followed Pepe Reina (Liverpool, 4), Anders Lindegaard (Manchester United, 5) and Alex Manninger (Arsenal, 6), but that’s all over now.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Sheffield United (McGoldrick 9)
Norwood and Baldock play the corner short and work some space. Baldock reaches the byline and pulls back for Berge, who leans back and whistles a low shot goalwards. The ball flies through a thicket and is steered into the bottom right by a clever, delicate McGoldrick flick. Mendy was completely wrong-footed. What a start for the Premier League’s bottom side!
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8 min: Baldock latches onto a long pass down the right and forces a corner off Chilwell. One corner leads to another, and ...
6 min: Chelsea are stroking it around very smoothly, and at high velocity. They’re fun to watch. “Talking of entertaining early evening treats, Celebrity Supermarket Sweep is on ITV right now,” reports Simon McMahon. “John Barnes and David Seaman are one of the couples going ‘wild in the aisles’. Just when you thought 2020 couldn’t get any weirder.” Bobby Charlton won £512 on Double Your Money in 1959. Nothing is new.
4 min: James makes good down the right again and whips a low ball through the United box. Abraham tries a fancy flick but doesn’t really connect. The ball continues to Chilwell, who batters goalwards from a tight angle. It’s a fine effort, and one that’s kicked away acrobatically by Ramsdale.
3 min: Chelsea’s turn to pile forward. Ziyech and James nearly open up some space on the right. Not quite. Both teams look well up for this.
2 min: A really brisk start by United, who fly out of the traps on the front foot. Basham, Berge and Brewster all put in good challenges down the right. Berge nearly finds Lundstram with a cutback from the byline, but Chilwell is able to clear. A statement of intent, perhaps.
Here we go, then! Chelsea get the ball rolling ... but only after the players take a knee. Black lives matter. No room for racism.
The teams are out! Chelsea wear their famous blue, while Sheffield United also sport their storied first-choice colours of red and white stripes. Before the kick-off, a rendition of the Last Post and time to remember the fallen. A moving video of the Chelsea Pensioners on the big screen. We’ll be off in a couple of reflective minutes.
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Chris Wilder’s turn. “I’ve told all the players: don’t look at the league table! I have belief in how we’re going about it. Long term, but even as recently as our last two performances against Liverpool and Manchester City. I would not have been surprised if we’d got something out of those games. We can’t go toe to toe with any of these clubs, but we’ll try to stay in the game and try to cause them problems going forward. I don’t believe honestly that our performances this season have been than much different to last year. Players grow in belief and confidence when they take big moments, and we haven’t taken enough of them this season, but we hope the next game, round the corner, we’ll do that.”
Frank talking. “We’re getting better. I expected it, but we had to work for it. New group, some injuries are coming back. Relationships on the pitch are getting better and we’re in a decent place. But in football that never stops, and we’ve got a difficult opponent today. We have to be even better. It will always be about personnel, and defensively about concentration and focus. Every team can cause you problems. Our concentration has been good but that has to continue.”
Chelsea make one change to the team named for the 3-0 win over Rennes during the week. Mateo Kovacic comes in for Jorginho, who drops to the bench. Thiago Silva wears the armband for the first time, with club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and vice-captain Jorginho both on the bench.
Sheffield United make three changes to the team narrowly beaten by Manchester City last weekend. Oliver Norwood, John Lundstram and David McGoldrick are in; Oli McBurnie, who was ill during the week, and Ben Osborn drop to the bench, while the on-loan Ethan Ampadu is ineligible against his parent club.
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The teams
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Zouma, Thiago Silva, Chilwell, Kovacic, Kante, Mount, Ziyech, Abraham, Werner.
Subs: Rudiger, Jorginho, Caballero, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Azpilicueta, Emerson Palmieri.
Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Basham, Egan, Stevens, Baldock, Berge, Norwood, Lundstram, Lowe, Brewster, McGoldrick.
Subs: McBurnie, Sharp, Burke, Jagielka, Robinson, Verrips, Osborn.
Referee: Jonathan Moss (County Durham).
Preamble
On the face of it, this should be a shoo-in for Chelsea. Frank Lampard’s side have won their last three matches to the aggregate tune of 10-0. Even more impressively, they’ve not conceded a goal in five games, some turnaround for a team shipping them for fun earlier in the year. Hakim Ziyech has hit the ground running, while Timo Werner has found his shooting boots after a quiet start.
Chelsea are on a ten-match unbeaten run in all competitions, winning five and drawing five, a stark contrast to Sheffield United’s 11-game sequence without a victory. They’re down at the bottom of the Premier League table as a result. But you know how these stories end sometimes. United’s last win? You guessed it: a comprehensive 3-0 stuffing of Chelsea at Bramall Lane back in July. And they’ll have good memories of Stamford Bridge, coming back from two down to draw early on last season, a statement of intent posted in fine fashion.
They could do with another today. Their recent performances against Liverpool and Manchester City should give them hope and confidence, but in-form Chelsea will feel they’re due one against the Blades. An entertaining early-evening treat awaits. It’s on!
Kick off: 5.30pm GMT.
