Burnley 1-4 Chelsea: Home woes continue as Clarets lose FIFTH straight home game
The Clarets squandered the lead after edging their noses in front through Wilson Odobert, who bagged on his first league start.
But the visitors, inspired by Raheem Sterling, fought their way back to claim an ultimately comfortable three points in East Lancashire.
The result means Kompany’s men have now lost all five of their home league games this term, shipping 16 goals in the process.
Vincent Kompany sprung something of a surprise with his starting line-up by making FOUR changes from the midweek win at Luton.
Connor Roberts, Jordan Beyer, Luca Koleosho and Zeki Amdouni all dropped out. Vitinho, Hannes Delcroix, Mike Tresor and Wilson Odobert were the four to take their places.
For Tresor and Odobert, it was their first league starts for the Clarets.
Hjalmar Ekdal, Johann Gudmundsson, Manuel Benson, Darko Churlinov, Nathan Redmond and Michael Obafemi all remain sidelined.
Anass Zaroury wasn’t involved in the match day squad for the second game running.
As for Chelsea, they made one change from their 2-0 win against Fulham on Monday night, as Raheem Sterling came in for Mykhailo Mudryk.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side saw plenty of the ball during the opening stages but Burnley remained pretty resolute, while retaining a threat whenever they won the ball back high up the pitch.
The visitors came within a whisker of opening the scoring in the 14th minute when Raheem Sterling curled one inches wide after cutting in from the right flank.
It proved to be a pivotal moment as Burnley immediately raced up the other end of the pitch to take the lead through the 18-year-old Odobert.
The goal owed a lot to the hard work of Lyle Foster, who spun his man before teeing up the left winger – who had the composure to shift the ball onto his left foot before firing low across Robert Sanchez into the far corner.
Burnley almost doubled their lead shortly afterwards as the goalscorer Odobert turned provider after twisting Marc Cucurella inside out before lofting up a dangerous ball towards the back post.
Mike Tresor, coming in from the other flank, looked like he had timed his run perfectly but Levi Colwill just about got ahead of him to scramble clear.
Cucurella typified Chelsea’s frustration midway through the first-half when he lashed out at the dangerous Odobert. Thankfully he didn’t make full contact otherwise the punishment could have been a lot worse than the booking that came his way.
Chelsea briefly threatened just after the hour mark when Enzo Fernandez was left completely unmarked at the back, but thankfully for the Clarets Josh Cullen was able to race back swiftly to clear behind for a corner.
Sterling, Chelsea’s biggest threat during the first-half, then engineered a chance for himself from a tight angle only to be denied by Trafford low down at his near post
Pochettino’s side slowly but surely began to turn the screw towards the end of the half and got their reward in the 41st minute, albeit in freak circumstances.
Inevitably Sterling was involved yet again, getting a couple of yards on Vitinho before seeing his cross deflect off the thigh of the unknowing Ameen Al-Dakhil, which took the ball up and over James Trafford.
It proved to be the defender’s final action of the afternoon as he was replaced by Dara O’Shea at the break.
The second period began in the worst possible fashion for Burnley after they conceded a needless penalty after just two minutes.
Vitinho was the guilty party again, losing track of Sterling down the left before hacking him down right on the line.
After a VAR check, it was adjudged the foul took place in the box allowing Cole Palmer to send Trafford the wrong way from 12 yards out.
A sloppy period ensued for the home side as they struggled to keep their composure, but they did almost hit back through Odobert once again when the winger let fly from distance, only to be denied by Sanchez’s fingertips.
Kompany switched things up on the hour mark, making a triple change with Connor Roberts, Aaron Ramsey and Luca Koleosho all entering the fray.
But only four minutes later, the visitors ran in a third. It wasn’t a huge surprise to see who scored it either, as Sterling took advantage of huge gaps of space to race through on goal before dispatching in emphatic fashion on his left foot.
Three became four as Sterling turned provider again, crossing for Palmer who in turn pulled the ball back for substitute Nicolas Jackson, who turned in the box before slotting past Trafford.
Burnley, to their credit, did at least have a go late on even though the game was already dead and buried.
Luca Koleosho tried his best off the bench, testing Sanchez with a low dipping effort which the Chelsea keeper just about parried behind.
All that was left was for Burnley fans to show their appreciation to last season’s loan star Ian Maatsen as he replaced Palmer four minutes from time.
TEAMS
Burnley: Trafford, Vitinho (Roberts), Al-Dakhil (O’Shea), Delcroix, Taylor, Cullen (Ramsey), Brownhill, Berge, Tresor (Koleosho), Odobert (Bruun Larsen), Foster
Subs not used: Muric, Cork, Amdouni, Rodriguez
Chelsea: Sanchez, Disasi, Silva, Cucurella, Colwill, Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher, Sterling (Mudryk), Palmer (Maatsen), Broja (Jackson)
Subs not used: Petrovic, Gilchrist, Matos, Ugochukwu, Chukwuemeka, Madueke
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Attendance: 21,654 (Chelsea 1,961)
