Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start in English football continued as Chelsea beat Sheffield United
Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start in English football continued with victory at Bramall Lane and offered a glimpse at how Timo Werner could be used in the new regime at Chelsea.
Werner, the £45million summer signing from RB Leipzig, has still not scored in the Premier League since facing Sheffield United in November but in the return fixture set up both goals from a slightly deeper role on the left flank.
After teeing up Mason Mount’s opener, he also raced through and was brought down for Jorginho’s winning penalty. Antonio Rudiger’s own goal had given Chris Wilder’s team brief hope of a point to lift them off the foot of the table.
It was the first goal conceded since Tuchel’s appointment, in 324 minutes of action, and Chelsea are not in full flow under him but there are signs of his team taking shape. Any fears of Mount, a favourite under Frank Lampard, seeing his progress halted can be put to bed. And in Werner, cutting in from the left is a role with promise.
After three matches unbeaten since his appointment, this fixture would see how Tuchel would fare on a cold Sunday evening in Yorkshire. In his puffer jacket, beanie and gloves, from the first minute he was pointing at where he wanted his players and the direction of the ball.
Wilder was a presence in the technical area too, bellowing his instructions to “get the f***ing ball” echoing around the empty stadium. His team could have been a goal up in the first 30 seconds, with his two Oli’s combining when Chelsea lost possession.
Oli McBurnie fed his strike partner Oli Burke and the Scotland forward’s finish went wide of the near post. Wilder’s team were showing why they have built momentum since Christmas after going so long without a win this season.
They also thought they had a penalty when Ben Chilwell, returning to the Chelsea starting line-up, hauled down Chris Basham but VAR spotted the Blades centre-back was offside in the build-up.
Basham was active at the other end too, clearing away after Werner had raced through and chipped his finish towards goal. Wilder’s defence was without Ethan Ampadu, a key performer in their recent run but ineligible against his parent club, but their system is refined enough for Kean Bryan to step in and limit initial chances.
But as Chelsea started dominating possession an opening goal looked likely. Chilwell gave them a warning when he made a run at the far post and met Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross but his header flew over the crossbar.
It was Chilwell who started the move for Mount’s goal, weighting a ball down the left flank for Werner to attack. The German could have gone for goal himself but chose the correct option, cutting the ball back for Mount to side-foot into the bottom corner.
United found their way back in the game after Rudiger gifted them an equaliser 10 minutes into the second half. McBurnie powered towards the penalty area and Rudiger got his bearings wrong and his backpass trickled past Edouard Mendy and into his own net.
Chelsea’s winner came within four minutes, when Werner raced through and as he went around Aaron Ramsdale was brought down as the goalkeeper’s head made contact with the forward’s knee. Kevin Friend took a look at the pitchside monitor before awarding the penalty, which Jorginho rolled into the bottom corner.
Billy Sharp, on as a substitute, forced Mendy into a stoppage-time save with a scissor kick.
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