Chelsea vs Sheffield United
After a miserable start in their Premier League season, the young Blues of Frank Lampard are set to host Sheffield United on Saturday, August 31st at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea got their first three points of the season via a 3-2 victory against Norwich City, thanks to a brace by Tammy Abraham and a score by Mason Mount.
On the other hand, Sheffield United are coming off a loss against Leicester City. However, they are on the same boat with Chelsea as they have identical records in their first three games (W1, L1, D1).
Both of these teams have different expectations coming into the season. Chelsea are expected to be one of the top contenders while Sheffield United are merely a feel-good story after making it out of relegation this time.
The Blades have never won against the Blues and for sure they would like to change the status quo. Will they finally score one over the Blues in this fixture?
Allow SBOBET to give you an overview on this matchup in the fourth round of the Premier League.
Talking Points
Can Chelsea sustain their recent form?
If their previous game provides any indication, it’s that a blazing start would almost guarantee three points for the men representing the Stamford Bridge.
That’s what happened in their match against Norwich when Chelsea scored two quick goals in the game’s first six minutes. It seemed at the time that the ball always went their way as they dominated possession and the duo of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham gave their fans some of the best Premier League 2019 highlights.
While their offence is humming along, the same can’t be said on defence where questions on finding the right mix continue to loom.
Anthony Rudiger and N’Golo Kante are very helpful in fixing their defence. However, both of them continue to suffer lingering injuries that have prevented them in providing more quality minutes.
Frank Lampard, however, mentioned that Rudiger is ready to go in this upcoming game against the Blades but there have been no recent updates yet for Kante.
The Chelsea icon has a decision to make on whom will he pair Rudiger with at centre-back, and he can pick between Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma. Both of these young guns have made strong cases to be a shoo-in in the starting XI.
Nevertheless, Chelsea can’t afford any slip-ups on defence and this will be a good test early on for Frank Lampard, who has shown good temperament and poise even with the club’s early struggles.
Will Sheffield United be competitive against top-flight competition?
After 12 long years, the Blades have finally made it back to top-flight status, endearing themselves to their fans in the process.
Much of their success can be owed to team manager Chris Wilder, who has done a superb job in forming a squad that can keep up with the best without any radical overhaul.
On paper, Sheffield United look to be one of the weakest teams in the Premier League but they have shown glimpses of potential here and there. Any opponent should not underestimate this club as they have the capability to score some upsets against top teams.
Leading the way will be Oliver Norwood who has had a reputation in helping various clubs get promoted to top-flight. He played a vital role for Sheffield United by scoring seven assists and two goals in only 23 appearances last term.
Former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson’s prediction became true when he mentioned that the midfield ace can make it to the Premier League back then. And this season will give the Burnley native another chance to prove himself this time at the big stage.
He will be supported by standouts Phil Jagielka, Ravel Morrison, Luke Freeman, and Callum Robinson, while new signee Lys Mousset will be the main attacking threat for the Blades.
Now that they’re back in the big time, a daunting challenge awaits the Blades to maintain their place. Good thing for them, however, is that they got the pieces that can help in their cause.
History
These two clubs have only met twice with Chelsea winning in all of those matches. The Blues have posted clean sheets with an average of 2.5 goals in those matches.
This will be the first season that Sheffield United have earned top-flight status since 2007.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have always been in top-flight and were never relegated in the Premier League.
Betting Tip
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Chelsea vs Sheffield United | Chelsea Asian Handicap -1.00 @1.61 |
| August 31, 22:00 (GMT+8) |
In this fixture, Chelsea’s odds for a win are at 1.37 while the road team is placed at 9.00. The Premier League odds of a draw are pegged at 4.40.
While Sheffield appear to have a fighting chance in this one, it’s hard to imagine them beating Chelsea in their home pitch, especially with some of their key players coming back.
Overall, their offence looks fluid already. But once Frank Lampard can cover up their holes on defence, expect Chelsea to round into form sooner or later.
The Blues are poised to take a 1-0 win in this match.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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