Sheffield United 1-2 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points as Blues ease past struggling Blades | Premier League 2020-21
Chelsea rounded off another scintillating display with a 2-1 win against bottom-dwellers Sheffield United in the 2020-21 Premier League.
Mason Mount and Jorginho scored the goals for Thomas Tuchel either side of the break, while an Antonio Rudiger own-goal brought the Blades on level terms in the second half.
The win saw Chelsea play some fabulous football and maintain control of proceedings; they are now up to fifth place, only a point off Liverpool. Meanwhile, 20th-placed Sheffield United continue to stare at the barrels of relegation.
On that note, let us have a look at the five major talking points from Chelsea's comfortable win over Sheffield United.
#1 Sheffield United's intent surprises Chelsea early on
Fresh off a run of three wins in five Premier League outings, Sheffield United came out with a positive mindset against Chelsea.
They threatened to rob the Blues of their patience in advanced areas, pressed intently and did not allow any space for half-turns and interchanges.
Chris Wilder's side formed a five-man diamond in midfield off the ball that denied Chelsea any space. The likes of Chris Basham and Kean Bryan charged forward to apply pressure on the visiting team and add numbers to the opposition territory in transition.
Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic struggled to play around the Blades' press, with the former also surrendering possession a couple of times.
In the opening 20 minutes, only 18% of the game was played in Sheffield United's defensive third, explaining how hard Chelsea had to work to muster anything substantial.
#2 Mason Mount's everpresent display results in the opener
While Chelsea were laborious in possession and lethargic with their hold-up play, it was Mason Mount, as always, breaking between the lines, finding pockets of space and working his socks off to upgrade his side's intensity.
The youngster was always willing to turn and improvise against a rigid, well-drilled Sheffield United side.
He offered the zip that Tuchel cried for from the touchline and produced a moment of brilliance in the box by holding his run and capping off a sensational finish after being teed up by Timo Werner.
It started with Olivier Giroud dropping in deep and winning the ball; the Frenchman exchanged passes with Werner, who then asked Chilwell to return it to his path. The German did exceptionally well to spot the unmarked Mount.
It's now four goals in the Premier League for the man who was not necessarily tipped to remain the same player under new management.