Chelsea got what they deserved here. They had been coasting to fourth courtesy of an early João Pedro goal, but the second-half dismissal of Wesley Fofana gave a glimmer to a Burnley team previously clinging on. Liam Rosenior’s side desperately tried to run down the clock, only to allow an unmarked Zian Flemming to nod home a James Ward-Prowse corner in added time. It might have been worse, as Jacob Bruun Larsen nodded an identical Ward-Prowse corner over the bar.
Rust the culprit? Chelsea’s players had enjoyed four days off given to them by Rosenior, Cole Palmer heading a winter sun delegation to Dubai in a rare midweek without competitive action. Estêvão was an absentee after a hamstring problem picked up on his return to training. Roméo Lavia, missing since November, on the bench was a point of intrigue, after the news he had spent his convalescence fine-tuning his decision making with the help of virtual reality.
Talking of reality, Burnley still stare down the barrel of relegation. Scott Parker had selected the same team that staged a comeback at Crystal Palace 10 days previously, with only two survivors from the starting lineup that lost at Mansfield in the FA Cup. That embarrassment undid much of the goodwill sent Parker’s way after Selhurst but this battling point will help.
