After a commanding display to beat fellow Londoners Tottenham Hotspurs, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea visit the Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United. The Blues have kept three clean sheets in as many games under new manager Tuchel, with solid possession based gameplay. But the lack of clinical finishing at the end of good moves left Tuchel frustrated and is one of the issues he would look to resolve.
Sheffield United on the other hand have gained much needed confidence with a victory over fellow relegation threatened side West Brom. Sheffield have shown signs of a fightback with two wins in their last three league games and might give Chelsea a hard time.
Thiago Silva suffered a muscle injury in his thigh against Spurs which is expected to keep him on the sidelines for a few weeks. Kurt Zouma and Kai Havertz missed the Spurs game and remain doubtful for this clash. The return of N’golo Kante who featured from the bench against Spurs is a definite boost for the Blues.
Let us now take a look at how Tuchel might line his men up for Sunday evening.
THE 3-4-1-2
The 3-4-1-2 system might be employed by Tuchel against Sheffield United to attack down the middle against defensive opposition. Edouard Mendy is expected to retain his place along with Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta at the back. Andreas Christensen is expected to replace the injured Thiago Silva in the heart of defence after a decent second half display against Spurs.
Ben Chilwell may replace Marcos Alonso to partner Reece James on the flanks and both will look to bomb forward to threaten from wide areas. Tuchel may not want to rush N’golo Kante into the starting lineup and look to stick with the pairing of Kovacic and Jorginho. Both have excelled in their respective roles in this new system and are enjoying life under the new manager.
Finally, Tammy Abraham may return to the side to play alongside Timo Werner who will be looking to break his duck in this game. The German’s last Premier League goal was also against the Blades back in November. Mason Mount might operate behind the two strikers and will be looking to continue his sensational form in midfield.
THE 4-3-3
The 4-3-3 is the system that was extensively used by Chelsea prior to the arrival of Thomas Tuchel. In this formation N’golo Kante can be fielded in his favourite role in front of the defence where he can thwart opposition attacks with his superb ability to intercept passes. Hakim Ziyech is the favourite candidate to partner Reece James on the right side where their partnership has been lethal to oppositions in the past. Olivier Giroud may start up top with his excellent ability as a target man and his powerful presence in the air.
THE 4-2-3-1
The 4-2-3-1 is another alternative for Tuchel to use in the upcoming contest. In this system the partnership of Kante and Kovacic as a double pivot can be used to stop the supply to the Sheffield duo of Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick who were both excellent in their last game. It will surely be difficult for incoming Christensen to replicate the displays of Thiago Silva but he will need to be at his sharpest to deny the Blades on the counter.
Chelsea look favourites to come out on top against Sheffield and will definitely look to get three points to close in on the top four.
