Chelsea secures back-to-back home wins over Sheffield United

On Saturday, Chelsea secured a crucial 2-0 triumph over Sheffield United F.C., marking their first consecutive home victories in the English Premier League since October 2022. Overcoming a lackluster first half, the Blues dominated the Blades in the second half.

The match commenced at a slow pace, with both sides creating few genuine chances. Sheffield displayed solid defense, initially frustrating Chelsea’s attack. The turning point came in the 54th minute when Raheem Sterling broke down the right wing, delivering a ball that Cole Palmer hammered home from close range. Chelsea took command of the game after securing the opening goal.

In an unusual turn of events, Nicolas Jackson added a second goal for Chelsea shortly afterward. Although debates may arise over a potential Chelsea penalty, Palmer capitalized on Sheffield’s hesitation, setting up Jackson for an easy finish. Despite Sheffield’s claims that James McAtee had taken the ball out of play in the build-up, the goal was allowed to stand.

Sheffield believed they had narrowed the gap late in the game when William Osula scored, but the goal was disallowed upon replay review, confirming McAtee’s possession had indeed crossed the boundary before the cross. Chelsea then squandered a golden opportunity to widen the lead when Armando Broja inexplicably fired over from point-blank range.

Ultimately, Chelsea did enough in the second half to overcome their home struggles, propelling themselves into the top half of the EPL table. The victory leaves Sheffield still at the bottom after 17 matches.