Chelsea missed the chance to move seventh in the league after being held to a 2-2 draw by Sheffield United today (April 7) although they'll be relieved with a point.
Mauricio Pochettino's Blues traveled to Bramall Lane after a sensational 4-3 win against Manchester United midweek. The expectation was that the west Londoners would push on and beat Chris Wilder's relegation battlers.
They made the best possible start in the 11th minute when Thiago Silva was left unmarked to tap home Conor Gallagher's corner. The veteran Brazilian defender was handed a rare start after falling down Pochettino's pecking order as of late.
However, Sheffield United hit back through English right-back Jayden Bogle in the 32nd minute. He ventured forward on the right flank and got enough power on the shot to beat Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
The Blades went close to taking the lead nine minutes into the second half. Ben Brereton Diaz found Oli McBurnie with a superb cross but the Scottish striker's header sailed just wide of the post.
Pochettino's men retook the lead through Noni Madueke in the 66th minute and it was a fine strike from the England U21 international. He cut inside onto his left foot and found the net with a tidy finish.
The hosts deserved to come away with at least a point and earned a last-gasp draw in the 90+3rd minute. The visitors failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to McBurnie who broke past the Blues' defense and poked home a vital equalizer.
It was perhaps a wake-up call for the Stamford Bridge faithful who were buoyed by their stunning win against Manchester United. The west Londoners' drew with the Blades meant they rose to ninth, three points behind eight-placed Newcastle United.
One fan wants Pochettino dismissed:
"Sack Poch in the tunnel."
A Manchester United fan mocked the Blues:
"No 2 cheap penalties so y'all can't win."
Here's how other fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Chelsea's frustrating draw at Bramall Lane:
"Bring my Chelsea back and sack Poch. I can't take it anymore," one fan demanded.
"Embarrassing," another fan insisted.
"No penalty... no party," one fan joked.
Former Chelsea star Jason Cundy felt Noni Madueke was the only bright spark against Sheffield United
Chelsea's draw against Sheffield United was their eighth in 30 league games. It means they spurned the chance to close the gap on their European qualification rivals.
There weren't many positives for the Blues to take from the game given they were second-best statistically. It was a haphazard performance and highlighted Pochettino's side's inconsistencies this season.
Jason Cundy was commentating on the game for Chelsea's official website and he felt Blues players needed to step up:
"It’s been slow, it’s laboured. I’m looking for someone on that pitch there to take a little bit of responsibility."
Former Blues defender Cundy named Madueke as one of the only visiting players who looked a threat:
"You can’t just have one individual… you need there to be a collective spark and that collective spark just hasn’t happened. Noni Madueke’s the only one I can think of that looks like something might happen."
Madueke, 22, scored a brilliant goal and was lively throughout at Bramall Lane. The English winger has struggled for game time under Pochettino but impressed today and was a standout performer.