Palmer's brilliance helps Chelsea beat stubborn Sheff Utd - 5 talking points
Chelsea picked up a welcomed 2-0 victory against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side went into the game 12th in the Premier League after back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Everton. They couldn't afford another loss at Stamford Bridge - and Cole Palmer got the memo. The England international put in a superb second-half performance by scoring and assisting Nicolas Jackson.
The Blues are still a long way off the top four, but at least Saturday's result has got the once-dominant club back to winning ways and taken some of the pressure off Pochettino. As for the Blades, they remain bottom of the table with just two wins to their name.
Here are the main talking points from Stamford Bridge...
Same old Chelsea
Considering United's position in the table, the minimum Chelsea fans expected on Saturday was a comfortable win. They started the game on top, boasting most of the ball and limiting their opponents to the odd scrap of possession here and there.
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But Chelsea lacked cutting edge, which is perhaps the story of their campaign so far. Every time they had the ball in the final third, they wasted it. Mykhaylo Mudryk, for instance, was played through on goal but failed to control of the ball and had it snatched off him by James McAtee. The Ukrainian could only foul the Manchester City loanee in response.
Mudryk still struggling
Mykhaylo Mudryk failed to impress once again (Getty Images)What did you make of Chelsea's display against Sheffield United? Let us know in the comments below!
"Football in a library," cried the visiting fans to sum up the dour atmosphere. The home supporters eventually had something to shout about when Gallagher snatched the ball in the final third and hit an effort straight at United's goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
Then came a moment of madness from Mudryk. He produced an outrageous nutmeg to bamboozle Jayden Bogle, United's right-back, and have the freedom of Stamford Bridge to run into. Yet he smashed an audacious effort from around 35 yards out instead. Off balance, the winger's strike was that bad it almost went out for a throw in.
Cameron Archer then showed Mudryk how it's done. The forward, who has been shifted to left wing since Chris Wilder's return to the club at the start of this month, cut onto his preferred right foot and tried to bend one into the top corner. Dorde Petrovic, on his Premier League debut, was relieved to see the deflected strike go just wide.
No corners allowed
Sheffield United played well at Stamford Bridge (Getty Images)The chances kept coming at both ends. The ball went across Petrovic's six-yard box, but no United player gambled. Jackson was then sent clean through on goal. Foderingham did brilliantly to get to the ball first before the danger was cleared.
The deadlock was almost broken on the stroke of half-time. McAtee, who has been moved from the middle to the right by Wilder, cut onto his left foot and curled a low cross towards the back post. The ball deflected off a defender and dribbled anxiously wide. Referee Andy Madley then blew for half-time, leaving the visitors annoyed at their lack of a corner.
Palmer makes the difference
Cole Palmer was superb after the break (Getty Images)Whatever Pochettino said at half-time, it worked. Chelsea made a fast start to the second half and Palmer, who was quiet during the first 45 minutes, left the visiting defence panicking with a jinking run into the box. The youngster's effort was deflected wide.
Chelsea's attacking intent opened the game up, but the risk paid off. Palmer, having ghosted into the middle, found Raheem Sterling out wide and darted into the six-yard box. Sterling made his way to the byline before drilling a low cross for Palmer to tap in.
There was a brief VAR check thanks to Jackson standing in an offside position - and not for the first time in the game - but the goal was allowed to stand because of the striker's minimal influence in the move. It would've been harsh to disallow it.
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Chelsea's strange second
Nicolas Jackson's goal left fans baffled (Getty Images)Then came a bizarre moment. United's defence failed to clear a tame cross from Palmer, leading to a scramble in the box. Foderingham should've collected the ball or, at the very least, pushed it to safety. Yet he fluffed it straight to Palmer.
The winger turned provider by squaring the ball to Jackson for a tap in. Few fans celebrated the goal, as United's defence had fallen asleep. Most inside Stamford Bridge assumed there had been some kind of foul in the build up. Yet VAR confirmed it was fair. Wilder will surely ask his players what happened in the dressing room at full-time.
United responded well to Chelsea's second goal. Gus Hamer's free kick forced Petrovic into a smart save, and they even had the ball in the net. Yet McAtee had dragged the ball out of the play in the build up. The Blades deserved a goal for their valiant display.
There was just enough time in the game for one of the misses of the season, as Armando Broja failed to put the ball into an empty net from just a few yards out. Regardless of Saturday's result, Chelsea must bring in a new striker in January.
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