Chelsea Predicted XI vs Sheffield United: Petrovic gets his first start in Chelsea blue
Chelsea finds itself in 12th place again, the same position they finished in last season. The Blues have lost more games than they have won or drawn in the league, and Mauricio Pochettino is fast running out of excuses for not winning games. Pochettino's men are creating chances, but just cannot finish them, and their structure is not good enough to consistently keep out good shots. Sheffield United are bottom of the league with eight points from 16 games, so the 2021 Champions League winners should get an emphatic win against Chris Wilder's men. This is the Pride of London's predicted lineup for the Saturday game.
Djorde Petrovic (No. 28) Goalkeeper, Serbia
This is the perfect game for Petrovic to get his full debut for Chelsea. He came on for Robert Sanchez against Everton and practically punched a corner into the path of young Lewis Dobbin, who scored to make it 2-0. He starts on a clean slate this time and it is against opposition he should be comfortable against.
Axel Disasi (No. 2) Right back, France
Disasi will once again have to fill in at right back as Reece James is injured again and Malo Gusto is still yet to recover from his injury. Disasi's aerial prowess and ball-carrying will come in handy in this game.
Thiago Silva (No. 6) Centerback, Brazil
Silva was rested against Everton and it's easy to say that is why the Blues lost. However, watching the game would reveal that Chelsea left Benoit Badiashile on an island and the Frenchman handled it impeccably. Any other centerback in that situation would have struggled, especially if that centerback is not as intelligent as Badiashile and is as nonathletic as Silva. Pochettino would continue to play Silva though, so expect the Brazil veteran to play whenever he's fully fit.
Benoit Badiashile (No. 5) Centerback, France
Badiashile went 1/7 for long balls against Everton, but 5/7 for aerial duels and 3/5 for ground duels, according to the ever-reliable Sofascore. As mentioned earlier, the former Monaco centerback was left alone to do most of the defensive work, a task he handled just fine in the first half as Chelsea only gave away 0.14 xG and two shots in the first half. His composure in possession is something to be studied, and the weight of his passes is excellent. He has won an impressive 69% of his ground duels, which is superb but has only won 57% of his aerials. His aerial numbers will go up, in volume and proportion, especially when you consider that he has only played three Premier League games this season.
Levi Colwill (No. 26) Left back, England
Colwill comes back in at left back, which would be par for the course under Pochettino.
Moises Caicedo (No. 25) Central midfielder, Ecuador
Caicedo has not particularly been poor, yet his performances have looked so ordinary because of the fanfare and price tag that came with him. No, the Ecuador midfielder did not select his price tag, but transfer fees are always going to be a factor in how players are regarded, and 72% of his tackles won combined with 49% of his ground duels won, means that Caicedo has not been special since he donned Chelsea colors.
Enzo Fernandez (No. 8) Central midfielder, Argentina
Fernandez seemed to be occupying the space behind the striker against Everton, and again the Blues did not get a goal. Chelsea has scored the fewest number of goals in games where Fernandez has played as the No. 10. If Pochettino continues to engineer playing styles and game states that put the Argentine World Cup winner in a position to play as the attacking midfielder, he would get the sack and he'd deserve it. Fernandez is a central midfielder. He should be played as one.
Raheem Sterling (No. 7) Left winger, England
In terms of movement and impact, Sterling has been one of Chelsea's most influential players. He has scored five league goals this season, none of which has been a penalty. His pressing in the final third has also been excellent.
Conor Gallagher (No. 23) Central attacking midfielder, England
Gallagher was Chelsea's most reliable player in and out of possession against Everton. His passing, ball winning and duel winning were superb.
Cole Palmer (No. 20) Right winger, England
Palmer will start whenever he's fit. His role in getting the ball into and using it in the final third is crucial.
Nicolas Jackson (No. 15) Center forward, Senegal
Jackson has been much better than he has been given credit for. His shooting, holdup play, and dribbling have been fantastic. No one knows just how good a finisher he is, because his finishing was very good for Villarreal last season and has not been so good this season. Only time will tell whether last season's Jackson or this season's Jackson is the real Jackson.