Oli McBurnie poked home in second-half stoppage time to rescue a point for Sheffield United as they pegged Chelsea back twice to draw 2-2 at Bramall Lane.
Chelsea looked all set to register a potentially crucial win in the hunt for a European place when Noni Madueke restored their lead in the 66th minute, after Jayden Bogle had cancelled out Thiago Silva’s early opener.
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Yet Chelsea’s inadequacies were again put on display as Mauricio Pochettino’s team failed to clear their lines in the third minute of added time, enabling McBurnie to turn home from close range and send the home fans into raptures.
While the Blades remain bottom of the standings, nine points from safety, Chelsea missed a great chance to further their European hopes, with the Blues sitting ninth, five points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
38 | -18 | 32 |
| 18 |
Luton
LUT
|
38 | -33 | 26 |
| 19 |
Burnley
BUR
|
38 | -37 | 24 |
| 20 |
Sheffield Utd
SHU
|
38 | -69 | 16 |
How the match unfolded
Chelsea profited from some slack defending on an 11th-minute corner as an unmarked Silva volleyed into the bottom-left corner, netting his third Premier League goal of the season.
The momentum swung in United’s favour after that, and they almost made the Blues pay for a mix-up at the back, but Ben Brereton Diaz failed to apply the finish with the goal gaping.
Yet the Blades got the goal their play deserved when Gustavo Hamer unlocked Chelsea’s defence with an inch-perfect pass to Bogle, who beat Djordje Petrovic from a tight angle.
The Blades remained a threat after the break, but struggled to find their finishing touch as McBurnie thumped a header wide before Hamer whipped an effort past the post with the outside of his boot.
They were made to rue those missed chances when Madueke skipped inside from the right wing and unleashed a powerful shot that flew beyond Ivo Grbic.
But with Grbic having denied Cole Palmer, the Blades’ pressure finally told deep into stoppage time – McBurnie keeping himself onside from Cameron Archer’s flick-on and coolly poking beyond Petrovic to snatch a deserved share of the spoils.
With seven matches left to play, the Blades still look destined to drop out into the Championship, and their defending – specifically at home – has cost them dearly.
They have set an unwanted record as they have now conceded 47 goals in 16 Premier League home matches this season, one more than Watford in 2021/22, who conceded 46 in that campaign.
In their nine matches at Bramall Lane since Chris Wilder returned to the club, they have shipped 28 of those goals.
After that thrilling 4-3 win over Man Utd on Thursday, Chelsea had the perfect chance to push on and close further ground on the Red Devils and their other rivals for a UEFA Europa League or Europa Conference League spot.
Yet as has been the case all season, Chelsea’s soft underbelly was left exposed and they could not come away with all three points.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +14 | 63 |
| 7 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +23 | 60 |
| 8 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | -1 | 60 |
| 9 |
West Ham
WHU
|
38 | -14 | 52 |
| 10 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
38 | -1 | 49 |
Their European hopes remain intact at least, and one positive for Pochettino will be that his team are now unbeaten in their last five matches on the road in all competitions, winning two and drawing three of those games.
However, this is a game Pochettino would surely have targeted for them to win. Instead, Chelsea dropped points from a winning position against a team in the bottom three for the second time in two weeks.
Club reports
Sheff Utd report | Chelsea report
Next Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Chelsea have drawn three successive away games in the Premier League for the first time since September 2000. Meanwhile, the Blues have conceded 27 away goals in the top flight this season, their most after 15 away games of a league season since 1990/91 (32 goals).
Sheffield United have conceded 47 Premier League goals at Bramall Lane this season, the most ever at home by a side in a campaign in the competition. It's the most by an English top-flight club on home soil in a season since 1960/61 (Chelsea 48, Newcastle 49).
Noni Madueke's goal, assisted by Cole Palmer, was the 14th time Chelsea had a Premier League goal both scored and assisted by players aged 22 or younger this season; only Leeds United in 1999/00 (20) have had more such goals in a campaign in the competition.
Thiago Silva (39y 198d) became the third-oldest player to score away from home in the Premier League, after Teddy Sheringham (39y 343d) and Dean Windass (39y 235d). Silva is also only the second player to score three or more goals in a single season in the competition while aged 39 or older, after Sheringham in 2005/06 (six).
