Chelsea claimed a third consecutive victory under Thomas Tuchel as they beat Sheffield United 2-1 in an incident-packed contest at Bramall Lane to climb to fifth in the Premier League.
Mason Mount set Chelsea on their way with a clinical finish from Timo Werner’s cutback shortly before half-time, but the Blades were level within nine minutes of the restart when Antonio Rudiger’s bizarre own goal gifted the hosts an equaliser – the first goal conceded of Tuchel’s tenure.
Having denied Sheffield United a first-half penalty, VAR took centre stage as Chelsea restored their lead four minutes later, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s foul on Werner penalised after referee Kevin Friend consulted the pitchside monitor, allowing Jorginho to convert from the spot for the second game running.
Ibrahimovic Surpasses 500 Career Goals In Milan Win
Rudiger atoned for his earlier error with a string of crucial defensive interventions that saw out the Chelsea win and condemned the battling Blades – who remain rooted to the foot of the table, 12 points from safety – to an 18th defeat of the season.