"All over the place" – Mark Lawrenson predicts winner of Sheffield United vs Chelsea

Liverpool great Mark Lawrenson has predicted a nervy 2-1 win for Chelsea in their Premier League contest against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday (April 7).

The Blues, who defeated Sheffield United 2-0 past December, are currently 10th in the Premier League standings with 43 points from 29 matches. They have lost just once in their past 10 outings across all competitions, registering six victories in the same period of time.

Chris Wilder's side, on the other hand, are in 20th spot of the 2023-24 league table with just 15 points from 30 matches so far. They have won just once in their last 11 matches, losing seven times along the way.

In his column for UK-based betting website Paddy Power, Lawrenson provided his thoughts on Chelsea's upcoming contest. He wrote:

"Sheffield United put up a good fight [in their 3-1 recent loss] against Liverpool and Chelsea are a little bit all over the place which was shown in that dramatic late [4-3] win over Manchester United. You'd have to side with [the visitors] as Sheffield United struggle to win at home. Well, they struggle to win anywhere."

Chelsea, who have conceded 62 goals from 41 matches this season, boast a great head-to-head record against Sheffield. They have recorded seven triumphs in their past nine meetings against the newly promoted team, drawing once and losing just once in the process.

Mauricio Pochettino asserts Chelsea star is in stellar form owing to lack of expectations

Ahead of Sunday's contest, Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino claimed that Cole Palmer is thriving as he arrived without the weight of significant expectations. The Argentine told club media:

"If I play against Palmer, I am going to tell my defensive line to be tough and not give him the chance to get the ball. That is going to be normal. Sometimes, expectations play a very important role on a player when they are young. When we signed Palmer, nobody expected him to perform in the way he is performing, but maybe if we paid more, people put pressure on a guy who is young."

Since leaving Manchester City in a potential £45 million deal, Palmer has recorded 19 goals and 12 assists in 36 matches for the Blues.

Sharing his two cents on the Blues' other youngsters, Pochettino said:

"We have talented players who need time. All are in a different level with expectation and pressure, but we have a young team that needs to grow. This process is painful because when we don't win, it's tough and difficult for everyone and our fans. We know what we are doing but the process is not as fast as expected."

Chelsea, who named Pochettino as their new boss past July, have won 21 and lost 12 of their 41 matches across all competitions this season.