Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Sheffield United from Stamford Bridge. On paper, this looks like a certain three points in the offing for the Blues, but the Blades are desperate to get their season up and running, and a surprise victory this afternoon would do just that.

Werner hooks the cross into the middle, Ramsdale is in two minds whether to come and collect, but it is eventually cleared.

The Blades really are a bogey side for Chelsea. Lovely, rehearsed corner, Baldock pulls it back for Sander Berge, who crosses low for McGoldrick, who brilliantly back-heel flicks the ball in! Three of McGoldrick's four Premier League goals have come against Chelsea!

GGGGGOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!! Chelsea 0-1 Sheffield United. Well, well, well! David McGoldrick gives the Blades a shock lead!

George Baldock puts Chilwell under pressure, forces a mistake, gets a shot away, but Chilwell blocks it behind.

Blades cannot get out of their own half early on here.

SAVE! Reece James with the low cross, Tammy Abraham gets a flick to it, Ben Chilwell arrives at the far post, drills fro goal from a tight angle, but Aaron Ramsdale gets across to make a fine block. Good start from the hosts here.

Chelsea with the early possession here as Mason Mount gets on the ball.

KICK OFF! We are up and running at Stamford Bridge.

So here we go. Blades are now bottom of the table after Burnley's point last night, whereas a win for the Blues, by two goals or more, will take then third. We are minutes away!

BLUNT BLADES: Sheffield United have scored with just 5.1% of their shots in the Premier League this season (3/59) – only Burnley have a lower conversion rate so far (5%). Meanwhile, Chelsea have converted 18.8% of their efforts (16/85), the third highest in the competition this season. Since beating Chelsea 3-0 in July, Sheffield United have netted just four goals in 10 Premier League games, with two of those coming from the penalty spot.

My word, Chelsea are very relaxed...

Ahead of kick off, catch up with all the latest transfer talk from across Europe as Antonio Conte plots a raid on his former club Chelsea.

So how have Chelsea become so good at the back of late? Thiago Silva has been a hugely calming influence on the defence, but most of the credit has to go to arguably the club's best summer signing.Edouard Mendy has kept a clean sheet in each of his three Premier League starts, and could become just the fourth keeper to keep a clean sheet in each of his first four in the competition after Alex Manninger, Pepe Reina and Anders Lindegaard.

An enlightening pre-match read...

HEAD TO HEAD: Chelsea have conceded exactly twice in five of their last six home league games against Sheffield United (W2 D2 L2), keeping a clean sheet in the other (3-0 in March 2007). Sheffield United avoided defeat in both league games against Chelsea last season (W1 D1), coming from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 in this exact fixture in August 2019. In fact, Sheffield United are one of just four clubs against whom Chelsea have lost more Premier League games than they’ve won (W3 L4), alongside Oldham Athletic (W0 L3), Liverpool (W20 L23) and Arsenal (W19 L20).

Plenty of clean sheets in Mendy's locker, amirite?

WERNER AND ABRAHAM ONCE AGAIN: It looked like Tammy Abraham's days as Chelsea's leading striker were numbered after Timo Werner's arrival, but for the third straight game, both start up top for the Blues. There's also only one change from the midweek win over Rennes, with Jorginho replaced by Mateo Kovacic. Kai Havertz is not in the squad as he is in isolation after contracting coronavirus. Three changes for the visitors, with David McGoldrick, John Lundstram and Oliver Norwood coming in. Ethan Ampadu cannot play against his parent club.

TEAM NEWS – CHELSEA: Mendy, James, Thiago Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Ziyech, Werner, Abraham... Subs: Caballero, Rudiger, Jorginho, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi, Azpilicueta, Emerson. /// SHEFFIELD UNITED: Ramsdale, Baldock, Basham, Egan, Stevens, Lowe, Berge, Norwood, Lundstram, McGoldrick, Brewster.. Subs: Verrips, McBurnie, Sharp, Burke, Jagielka, Robinson, Osborn.

The teams are in…