Chelsea 4-1 Sheffield United: Blues move third with dominant victory over winless Blades

Chelsea continued their improvement with a fourth straight win as they fought back from a goal down to beat struggling Sheffield United 4-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea conceded for the first time in five games through David McGoldrick's clever flick from a Sander Berge strike (9), but Tammy Abraham levelled as his weak effort into the ground beat Aaron Ramsdale (23).

And Chelsea completed the turnaround as Ben Chilwell bundled home Ziyech's deep cross at the far post (34), though both Ramsdale and Max Lowe should have done more to keep the defender out.

Man-of-the-match Ziyech assisted Chelsea's third as Thiago Silva nodded in ahead of Ramsdale from a free-kick (77), before Timo Werner got in on the act, smashing home as the ball broke into his path (80).

• Hakim Ziyech class stands out for Chelsea
• Aaron Ramsdale form under scrutiny

The result takes Chelsea third in the Premier League, just a point behind leaders Liverpool, while Sheffield United remain bottom having taken just one point from a possible 33 since beating Chelsea 3-0 on July 11.

How Chelsea reacted to sweep Blades aside

Frank Lampard insisted after the game he's "keeping his feet on the ground", but there is genuine excitement about this Chelsea side after hitting 14 goals in four games, and the emergence of Ziyech has been an added delight.

Impressive in recent weeks after his long-awaited Chelsea debut, Ziyech was the key to unlocking Sheffield United on Saturday, but only after the hosts were given a fright early on as their previously watertight defence burst open.

Chelsea fell asleep at a corner, allowing Norwood and George Baldock to exchange passes on the right as the latter found space to cut back for Berge, and his low effort was flicked into the far corner brilliantly by McGoldrick from close range.

• Premier League table | Fixtures | Results
• How Chelsea and Sheff Utd lined up | Match stats

United had previously only led for 28 minutes this season - at Anfield of all places - but they could only add 14 to that tally as Chelsea levelled midway through the half.

Ziyech triggered the attack, getting out the pitching wedge to find Kovacic on the right of the box as United were caught slightly high, and Kovacic's cut-back was struck into the ground by Abraham from 12 yards, bouncing into the far corner past Ramsdale.

Werner then hit the bar from an acute angle as Chelsea moved through the gears, and their second was just around the corner. Ziyech was found short from a Mason Mount corner, and his wicked ball from deep created havoc as Ramsdale decided to stay, allowing Chilwell to ghost in ahead of Max Lowe and touch home from a yard.

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A more commanding Ramsdale, and switched-on Lowe would have avoided a goal that Chilwell almost seemed embarrassed to score, but Ziyech's left-foot, described as "devastating" by Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher, was causing problems.

Chelsea constricted United in the second half simply by keeping the ball - they had 71 per cent of it after the break - but after half-chances for Ziyech and Abraham, they didn't get their two-goal cushion until 13 minutes from time.

Another wonderful Ziyech delivery was the catalyst, seeing his right-wing free-kick glanced home by Thiago Silva, as both Lowe and Ramsdale failed to react to again.

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Ziyech's brilliant through-ball was then lifted wide by Werner, but the German would be through on goal again moments later, smashing beyond Ramsdale as it fell kindly to him after bouncing off Kante in a tackle with Lowe.

Chelsea once again looked impressive, their "best performance of the season" according to Lampard as his side look towards the summit rather than the mid-table swamp in the Premier League, but it was mistakes rather than effort that cost Chris Wilder's Sheffield United side again.

Can Chelsea challenge for the title?

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Former Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole on Sky Sports:

"I think they've got the players to challenge. We can sit here and say they can challenge, but football is fickle. It can swing so quickly as you can have one good performance like they had today against a Sheffield United team who I feel shouldn't be bottom. Their quality is much higher than they're showing positionally.

"After they come back from the international break, they've got Newcastle and if they lose that there will again be criticism.

"So we have to be careful, but right now with the changes they've made and the defenders that have come in, I do feel like they can challenge for the title."

What the managers said...

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard: "People expected our attacking players to click on day one of the season, but of course that doesn't happen. It's a work in progress, and the movement and the relationships on the pitch is something you have to work on. There are great signs, but we need to keep going.

"The season is long and it's very early days so I'm keeping my feet on the ground. We have challenge after challenge coming up, the players now go away for two weeks before we face Newcastle. Every game will be challenging."

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On Ziyech: "He's a top-class player. You could see that from afar, but when you work with him, he impresses you even more as you see his personality. It's a great signing. He's a huge plus for us and will continue to be so."

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder: "Our fate in this division will not be decided by the Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City or Chelseas. It will be decided in the lead up to Christmas and it will give us an opportunity in those games. You have to quickly clear your head when you have a defeat.

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"I dislike teams who talk about team spirit, quite easy when you win games of football to talk about your team spirit and this is where it really gets tested. There's a tight group of boys in there, I know that, and we have to stick together and work our way through it, which I'm sure we will."

Opta stats

• Chelsea (11 games without defeat) are enjoying their longest unbeaten run in all competitions since November 2018 (a run of 18), whilst Sheffield United's 12 game winless run is the longest the Blades have gone without a victory in all competitions since October 2013 (a run of 13).
• David McGoldrick's opener for Sheffield United was just the second goal Edouard Mendy has conceded for Chelsea in all competitions and first since his debut against Tottenham in September, having kept six consecutive clean sheets prior to today.
• Only against Wolves (6) and Nottingham Forest (5) has Chelsea's Tammy Abraham scored more goals in English league football than he has against Sheffield United (4 in 4 appearances).
• After failing to score or assist a goal in any of his first four Premier League appearances, Chelsea's Timo Werner has been involved in five goals in his last four games in the competition (4 goals, 1 assist).

What's next?

Chelsea return to action after the international break with a trip to Newcastle United on Saturday November 21 at 12.30pm, while Sheffield United host West Ham on Sunday November 22, live on Sky Sports Premier League at 2pm.

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