https://sportzbiz.co.uk/football/burnie-strikes-late-to-deny-chelsea/

• McBurnie’s late equalizer secures a point for Sheffield United against Chelsea Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal ensures Sheffield United earns a valuable point against Chelsea, denying the latter a win in their Premier League encounter.

Is it too much to expect for one day at work without any chaos? It appears that Mauricio Pochettino has a very strong “yes” for the answer. Chelsea turns what appears to be the right turn and goes around the bend. Then they turned around for no apparent reason.

As Bramall Lane started to empty, it seemed as though a mostly lackluster performance might at least yield the outcome Pochettino needed against Sheffield United. Chelsea stumbled after that. Once more. even after taking the lead twice against a team that was all but eliminated. As a result of Noni Madueke’s goal in the second half, they were even within two stoppage-time minutes of three points. At the same time, it feels incredibly far away.

The man Pochettino is is astute. He is fully aware that in order for last Thursday’s crazy, fantastic victory over Manchester United to be remembered as more than simply a fleeting event, it needs to be built upon in the future.

Did his players lose energy after their heroics during the week?

“They were tired, of course, but that is not an excuse for us to lose the game today,” Pochettino remarked.

As a fifty-two-year-old who enjoys watching football, I can tell very quickly if a team is prepared to play or not. That occurred today. Perhaps as a result of this group’s immaturity, which prevents them from competing in every game every three days.

All Chelsea needed to do was see out extra time with a 2-1 lead. However, in the third of those, they missed multiple opportunities to clear instead of wasting seconds. Expensive? Indeed. After Cameron Archer entered the game as a replacement and flicked the ball on, Oli McBurnie drove the Kop into a frenzy. Gustavo Hamer was determined to win his header on the outskirts of the area more than Mykhailo Mudryk.

Chelsea had thus scored twice and given up two goals for the sixth straight game. About as sustainable as hydraulic fracturing.

“After analysing the game, I believe a draw was a fair result,” Pochettino stated. “In the end, we failed to demonstrate our ability to be strong and stable. The most agonizing thing is that.

To be blunt, most Premier League managers would pick the Blades as their opponent when looking for a low-key evening. There has rarely been a more vulnerable defense in the top division than United’s. An example of this was Chelsea’s opening game. Conor Gallagher’s corner was cut in the direction of the penalty area. It was a respectable cross, not particularly venomous, but accurate enough. Thiago Silva encountered it there and, with no one around him, side-stepped Ivo Grbic.

The Brazilian, who was starting for the first time since February, may have scored his final Chelsea goal because he is 38 years old and his contract is about to end. Following the game, Pochettino emphasized that no choice had been made in that regard.

Instead of displaying visceral discontent, the home fans’ response to Silva’s goal was a subdued murmur. They’re too familiar with the script. Messages informing loved ones in and around the city were probably sent since match spectators were expected to return home earlier than expected. However, that did not occur.

Cole Palmer gave it his all to get Chelsea going after being pushed to the center to make room for Madueke. A few dazzling flashes occurred, but nothing really stuck.

And United put up a fight. Midway in the first half, Silva’s errant pass across goal gave them hope. McBurnie deflected the ball and set Ben Brereton Díaz up for a shot. A goal was only prevented by a block from Moisés Caicedo because Djordje Petrovic had already committed.

Hamer then reached for the strings. One of the few players on United’s roster who has a good chance of finding a top-tier suitor this summer is Hamer. Hamer first established his own area and tested Petrovic at a distance. He then provided the first equalizer for United. There was an audible grumble when Hamer first chose not to sneak the overlapping Jayden Bogle in. It seems sense that the local fuses are short, as you can see.

But Hamer knew exactly what he was doing. He held back. On Marc Cucurella’s blindside, he discovered Bogle. The cross from the wing-back turned into a shot that beat Petrovic at the near post.

In that instant, United discovered something long since misplaced: belief. In fact, they were so close to taking the lead in the second half. Unfortunately, McBurnie missed horribly. The volume increased.

And Ollie Arblaster set up Hamer for a 20-yard pass next. The drove shot was excellent, but it went into the side net. “United” erupted across the scene, accompanied by several fierce challenges.

Then, though, Madueke swung in from the right and sliced right past Grbic. Most believed that United had burst its balloon. While it lasted, at least, it had been enjoyable. But McBurnie blew it up again.

Chris Wilder spoke of his team’s late comeback, “You’ve got to really dig in for yourself, for your teammates, for the shirt, for the badge, for the supporters, for yourself.” “I believe that everyone on the ground would have been extremely disappointed if that effort had not yielded a result.”