Pochettino names Chelsea player who was ‘better’ in 2nd half and made a difference in Sheffield United win

Mauricio Pochettino said he made some tactical tweaks that saw Chelsea secure 2-0 win vs Sheffield United

Chelsea struggled to penetrate Sheffield United’s defence in the first half. Mauricio Pochettino made a few tactical adjustments, moving Cole Palmer to the right wing and making amendments to the midfield and defence that saw the Blues manage to pull off a convincing victory.

The Blues were seldom threatened in the first half, but they made numerous chances and were a different side in the second half. If Armando Broja and Raheem Sterling had taken their chances, the Blues may have won 4-0.

Palmer broke the deadlock in minute 47, and Nicolas Jackson gave Chelsea a two-goal lead seven minutes later as they triumphed back-to-back at home for the first time since October 2022.

The 51-year-old later confirmed how he made some tweaks in the second half, which saw Chelsea secure a convincing 2-0 win. Speaking at a post-match press conference, (h/t Evening Standard), he said:

“We made a mistake because we were standing still too much in our positions. In the second half, we were much better. We fixed things. Then the team started to find better possibilities to play and link much better.”

“Cole from the right, with all the space and the possibility to face the goal, started to link better with team-mates and started to be the player we want to use as a playmaker.”

Cole Palmer to the rescue once again.

Seeing Palmer play for the Blues has been exciting this season; he has been outstanding, and his on-field theatrics are just amazing. With every game, his presence on the field has become more crucial for us. When Enzo Fernandez was benched, concerns were raised about who would benefit from Sheffield’s low block. Although Palmer was used as an offensive midfielder, he seldom performed at all.

However, Palmer was more effective and created numerous opportunities when Pochettino moved him to the right, thus ending the impasse. We asserted our rightful victory and appeared well-prepared.

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After Fernandez, he is our most inventive player, and when he plays from his native position, he looks much more menacing. He was lively when Pochettino made the proper decision to put him on the right flank and he punished Sheffield for giving him space.