Neto And Fernández Ensure Chelsea Avoid Accidental Slip With Victory At Burnley

In a week erstwhile home accidents troubled Chelsea, they had nary specified issues astatine Burnley. Without nan injured Cole Palmer, who fractured a toe aft colliding pinch a doorway astatine home, they avoided a gaffe here, escaping without moreover a fissure.

There was nan occasional early threat of a bloody nose, but moreover not astatine afloat speed, Chelsea were capable to halt Burnley’s industry. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández were nan matchwinners but Chelsea did not make nan astir of dominating possession against a broadside that had 2 meek shots connected target.

Burnley matched Chelsea for much than a 3rd of nan game, looking vulnerable acknowledgment to balls complete nan apical their wingers latched connected to, but Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony ne'er made a objective determination erstwhile they mattered. They either wanted excessively agelong connected nan shot aliases sent loose crosses to nary one.

Chelsea were sloppy successful nan early stages, incapable to support possession. Their beforehand 3 came live erstwhile nan shot reached nan separator of nan area, offering neat touches and clever runs, but without creating a chance of note. Moisés Caicedo’s absence from nan starting XI, caused by a gruelling world break pinch Ecuador, caused problems successful nan Chelsea midfield and they struggled to settee into a rhythm.

Pedro Neto leaps to caput Chelsea successful beforehand during nan first half astatine Turf Moor. Photograph: Gary Oakley/PA

Slow reasoning was a wider problem for Chelsea arsenic they risked giving distant a punishment aft Robert Sánchez seemingly took a extremity footwear to Trevoh Chalobah, who put his manus connected nan shot earlier restarting play. Burnley hardly said a connection connected nan matter, but pinch small other going connected astatine nan time, nan incident astatine slightest brought immoderate interest.

Chelsea yet recovered a groove and almost opened nan scoring erstwhile Neto’s debased transverse looked destined for Jamie Gittens astatine nan backmost post, only for Kyle Walker to intervene pinch a last-ditch tackle. The 2 wingers mixed soon aft to springiness nan visitors nan lead erstwhile Gittens’s curling transverse from nan near was headed location t nan acold station for Neto’s 3rd extremity successful 5 convention games.

It was an moreover half, but nan extremity summed up nan quality betwixt nan teams successful nan last third. Burnley lacked nan cutting separator whereas moreover successful moments of toil, Chelsea gave disconnected nan belief they could nutrient a infinitesimal of quality.

Enzo Fernandez slots location to make it 2-0 to nan visitors. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

Marc Cucurella was causing Burnley nan astir problems; nan left-back was allowed to drift wrong and make runs beyond Liam Delap, regularly catching retired nan defence. The Spaniard played his portion successful nan extremity pinch 1 specified action. Burnley were incapable to way nan defender nor extremity him receiving nan shot successful vulnerable positions.

Chelsea were capable to find greater power successful nan 2nd half, perpetually putting Burnley nether pressure. Where nan Clarets had astatine slightest posed questions earlier nan break, Chelsea were not required to supply immoderate answers.

A 2nd was acold much apt than an equaliser. Neto almost doubled his tally pinch a fierce debased thrust against nan guidelines of nan station and gave teammates a chance to scope nan rebound, but Josh Cullen reacted quickest to clear.

Burnley worked difficult successful an effort to get backmost into nan game, but fell short erstwhile it mattered contempt an overhaul successful attacking personnel. Chelsea were small better, often floundering successful nan last 3rd until a speedy break up nan correct by Neto resulted successful Marc Guiu mounting up Fernández to corroborate nan consequence and guarantee location were nary much cracks for nan visitors.