Chelsea have had a dreadful time with injuries of late but there was positive news before kick-off as Christopher Nkunku was named in the matchday squad for the first time since signing from RB Leipzig in June.
But it would be a player that was deputising in his position that would grab the headlines once again, in the form of Cole Palmer. Two goal involvements from the young Englishmen were enough to secure victory for the home side against a resilient Sheffield United.
For Chris Wilder, there will be plenty of positives to take from the result and how his team competed for the majority of the match, but they ultimately head home empty-handed. It does not get any easier for the Blades over the festive period, with games against in-form Aston Villa and champions Manchester City either side of a crucial home clash with fellow strugglers Luton on Boxing Day.
VAVEL considers the four things we learned from this Saturday afternoon fixture:
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Pochettino's tactical switch pays off
A half time tactical tweak was the catalyst for Chelsea's victory. Mauricio Pochettino was on-course to be winless for the third game in a row, with his side unable to create any meaningful opportunites against an organised Sheffield United defence.
But the Argentinian reacted by swapping Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer's positions on the pitch, and his decision paid dividends. The Blues had much more attacking intent in the second period and were able to make their dominance count with two quickfire goals to seal the victory.
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Goals hard to come by
The issues for Sheffield United are staring them in the face, they need to score more goals. The Blades have now failed to score in seven of their 17 league games this term - more than any other side in the division.
Cameron Archer looked a bright spark and Wilder would have hoped for more from the returning Oli Mcburnie up front, but the simple fact is that it does not matter where the goals from, they simply need to start scoring if they hope to remain in the Premier League next season.
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Petrovic does his job
Due to the injury sustained by Chelsea's usual goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, a full debut was awarded to the young Serbian shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic.
There will certainly be tougher tests in the coming matches, but a clean sheet on your debut in the Premier League, with a pass completion rate of 91% (21/23 accurate passes) is certainly a great achievement, and a platform that Petrovic will certainly be hoping to build upon.
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Wilder needs home comforts
For Sheffield United, matches like this one will not be where they can expect to pick up their points for the remainder of the campaign. The Blades are the only team without an away victory this term, having lost on six of seven road trips so far.
This stat alone shows that home form will be pertinent to their survival hopes. Under Chris Wilder's tutelage, the Sheffield United fans will be hoping that Bramall Lane can become a fortress for them moving forwards.
