Ace Football previews the Premier League clash between Chelsea and Sheffield United, and offers betting tips, odds, and team news.
Chelsea and Sheffield United lock horns at Stamford Bridge for the penultimate Premier League fixture on Saturday.
Both sides have failed to match expectations, with Chelsea down in seventh-place in the standings on 12 points from seven games. Their recent excellent form, however, has given them cause for optimism. Especially against bottom-placed side Sheffield United, who are winless this season.
But the visitors cannot be underestimated in this one, having taken four points from Chelsea last season, and won the last meeting 3-0 at Bramall Lane back in July. Of course, a lot has changed since then – but it may give them hope of nicking a result.
Chelsea Form & Stats
Five clean sheets in a row, along with 10 goals scored in the last three games, suggest Frank Lampard has struck a balance in his squad. It’s an impressive turnaround indeed, especially in such a short amount of time.
In fact, Chelsea hadn’t kept five consecutive clean sheets in over a decade prior to their 3-0 midweek triumph over Rennes in the Champions League.
But while fortune perhaps favored them last time out, including a questionable penalty decision and Rennes losing a man before half-time, they were still the deserving victors.
Now the Blues, who are also unbeaten in their last five league games (W2 D3), hope to enter the international break with victory on Saturday. Doing so could offer them a spot in the Premier League top-four.
Although Lampard has confirmed Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz are unavailable for selection. The former is out with a hamstring injury, while the latter tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Key Team Stats
- Won their last three games in all competitions.
- Kept a clean sheet in their last five games in all competitions (W3 D2).
- Won nine of their last 12 home games in all competitions (D2 L1).
Sheffield United Form & Stats
It’s been pretty much downhill for the Blades ever since coming out 3-0 winners over Chelsea in July. In fact, they haven’t won a single competitive fixture since then – a run of 11 games to be exact (D2 L9).
The pressure, therefore, is piling up on Chris Wilder as the club sit rock-bottom of the Premier League standings with a mere point to their name.
To be fair, though, Sheffield United’s points tally doesn’t really do justice on their overall performances. They only lost by single-goal margins to Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City recently and ran them close in those games. But at the end of the day, points are what count the most.
Wilder will, no doubt, make it a priority to improve his frontline as his side has scored just three goals. It’s the joint-worst record in the Premier League alongside fellow strugglers Burnley.
Key Team Stats
- Winless in their last 11 games in all competitions (D2 L9).
- Haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 11 games in all competitions.
- Lost seven of their last eight away league games.
Team News
Chelsea: Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, & Billy Gilmour (all out).
Sheffield United: Lys Mousset, Jack O’Connell, & John Fleck (all out); Ethan Ampadu (ineligible to face parent club, Chelsea).
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top scorers in Recent Premier League Games
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats between the two teams based on their form and Over/Under stats in their recent Premier League games.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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