"I still think they’ll beat them" - Mark Lawrenson predicts winner of Chelsea vs Sheffield United
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has backed Chelsea to beat Sheffield United 2-0 in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, December 16.
The Blues have had a poor 2023-24 season so far and are 12th in the league standings, a massive 18 points behind leaders Liverpool. Their performances have left a lot to be desired, with multiple injuries unhelpful as well.
Mauricio Pochettino's side come into the game against Sheffield on the back of successive defeats against Manchester United and Everton. The Blades, meanwhile, beat Brentford in their last game. They sit at the bottom of the table, with just two wins after 16 games.
Lawrenson has backed the Blues to beat Sheffield comfortably despite their recent struggles, writing in his prediction for Paddy Power:
"Sheffield United beat Brentford last week. Chelsea… that’s another story. I do fancy a Chelsea home win purely because it’s at Stamford Bridge and Sheffield United won’t want to come out and play, they’ll try and make it difficult. Even though Chelsea are the toss of a coin every time they play I still think they’ll beat them."
Incidentally, both sides have lost three, won one, and drawn one of their last five Premier League games, albeit in different orders.
Mauricio Pochettino confirms Christopher Nkunku's return to Chelsea's squad
The west London side signed Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of £52 million in January but he arrived at the club in the summer. However, he suffered an injury in pre-season and has yet to make his debut for the club.
However, in a pre-match press conference, Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that Nkunku will be in the squad to face Sheffield on Saturday (via Chelseafc.com):
"He can be involved. That is very good news for us because being involved tomorrow and being in the squad, he can start to feel the competition, to feel the Premier League, and be with his team-mates for the first time after pre-season.
"Now we need to be calm and quiet because we don’t want to put all the pressure on him. Now he needs to evolve, know the Premier League, know the competition. But it’s a big motivation also for us, for his team-mates and for our fans to see a player who should be important for us in the squad for the first time of the season."
Nkunku was the Bundesliga's joint-top scorer last season with Niclas Fullkrug with 16 goals despite missing two months due to injury. With the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Mykhaylo Mudryk struggling, Pochettino will hope Nkunku can provide a spark in his side's attack.