Chelsea Player Ratings: Impressive Performances from Madueke and Silva, Cucurella Struggles
Chelsea’s hopes of closing the gap on the top teams were dashed as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Sheffield United. Despite taking an early lead through Thiago Silva’s deft finish from a Conor Gallagher corner, Chelsea failed to secure the victory. Noni Madueke appeared to have given Chelsea the win with a second-half goal, but Oli McBurnie’s late strike salvaged a crucial point for Sheffield United in the relegation battle.
Defender Djordje Petrovic had a mixed performance, failing to stop Jayden Bogle’s shot that led to Sheffield United’s first goal. Axel Disasi, playing out of position as a full-back, struggled once again. However, his poor display can be partially attributed to his discomfort in this role.
Thiago Silva, back in the starting lineup for the first time since February, justified his selection by converting Gallagher’s corner into a goal. Although he was muscled out too easily by Sheffield United in certain situations, he was saved by the impressive performance of Caicedo.
Trevor Chalobah had a generally tidy performance but was caught flat-footed in trying to deal with the flick on before McBurnie’s equalizer. Despite this mistake, Chalobah won six aerial duels and completed 91% of his passes.
Marc Cucurella had a difficult game, being caught napping for Sheffield United’s opener and failing to make an impact in the final third. His defensive performance was also lacking, as he lost Gustavo Hamer and allowed him to assist Bogle’s goal.
Moises Caicedo played a crucial role in defense, bailing out Silva with a vital block that could have resulted in Sheffield United equalizing earlier. However, he was also guilty of letting his marker loose and allowing an uncontested shot from range against Petrovic. Despite this, Caicedo made two tackles and two interceptions, contributing to a strong defensive display.
Enzo Fernandez did not have his best game but managed to create two chances for the Chelsea attack. However, his long passing was not up to par, with only two completed out of seven attempts.
Conor Gallagher delivered a pinpoint corner for Silva’s opener but failed to make a significant impact throughout the rest of the game. Similarly, Cole Palmer had a relatively quiet game, providing an assist but relying on the goalscorer Madueke for most of the good work.
Noni Madueke had a standout performance, making dangerous runs and stinging the palms of Sheffield United’s goalkeeper in the first half. He was rewarded for his efforts with a goal in the second half, cutting inside from the right wing and thundering a shot into the roof of the net.
Nicolas Jackson struggled with his hold-up play against the Sheffield United defense, being loose with his passes. The substitutes Carney Chukwuemeka, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, and Cesare Casadei had limited impact on the game.
Overall, Chelsea’s frustration at failing to capitalize on results around them was evident in their 2-2 draw against Sheffield United. While some players impressed, such as Madueke and Silva, others struggled to make their mark, notably Cucurella. Chelsea’s inability to secure a crucial win against relegation-threatened Sheffield United leaves them with work to do if they want to close the gap on the top teams.