Chelsea Lose Ground in Top-Six Race with 2-2 Draw at Sheffield United
Blues Unable to Capitalize on Manchester United Victory
McBurnie's Late Goal Dents European Hopes
Chelsea were unable to build on their morale-boosting win over Manchester United in midweek as they were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by bottom-placed Sheffield United on Sunday evening. The result leaves Frank Lampard's side ninth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of the top six.
Chelsea took the lead twice through goals from Willian and Tammy Abraham, but the Blades hit back on both occasions thanks to Oli McBurnie and Jack Robinson. McBurnie's last-minute equalizer was particularly cruel, as it denied Chelsea a victory that would have given them a significant boost in their pursuit of European qualification.
The draw means Chelsea have now drawn seven consecutive matches in all competitions, a run that has seen them drop out of contention for the Premier League title and the FA Cup. Lampard will be concerned about his team's lack of consistency, which has seen them alternate between impressive performances and disappointing results.
Chelsea will have a chance to bounce back when they face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday. However, they will need to show a significant improvement in their form if they want to overcome their rivals and reach the final.
Here are the Chelsea player ratings from the draw at Bramall Lane:
- Kepa Arrizabalaga: 5/10 - Could have done better with both goals.
- Cesar Azpilicueta: 6/10 - Solid defensively, but offered little going forward.
- Antonio Rudiger: 5/10 - Struggled to deal with Sheffield United's physicality.
- Kurt Zouma: 6/10 - Made some important blocks, but was caught out of position for Robinson's goal.
- Marcos Alonso: 6/10 - Got forward well, but was caught out defensively on a few occasions.
- N'Golo Kante: 7/10 - Typically industrious performance in midfield.
- Jorginho: 5/10 - Struggled to control the tempo of the game.
- Mateo Kovacic: 6/10 - Showed some nice touches, but was guilty of giving the ball away too often.
- Willian: 7/10 - Scored a fine goal, but was otherwise quiet.
- Tammy Abraham: 6/10 - Scored a poacher's goal, but missed a few good chances.
- Christian Pulisic: 6/10 - Showed some good moments, but was unable to make a decisive impact.
- Substitutes:
- Billy Gilmour: 6/10 - Added some energy to the midfield.
- Callum Hudson-Odoi: 5/10 - Failed to make an impact.
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