Chelsea beat a disappointing Burnley team 2-1 despite playing a heavily rotated team in a new formation.
It was a nervy opening overall, with both sides making early errors. The away team had the first big chance as Olivier Giroud flicked a pass on for Alvaro Morata, whose shot from a tight angle was saved by Nick Pope.
The Blues had their opener not long after, as Victor Moses surged down the right and played a cross into the box that ricocheted home off Kevin Long. The rest of the first half saw Burnley push back bravely against a Chelsea team that never looked troubled.
The start of the second half showed Chelsea’s intentions perfectly, as they slowed down the game drastically but still looked to push forwards and secure a second goal.
Alvaro Morata had the best chance to double the team’s lead ten minutes into the second period, but he smashed the ball wide with just the keeper to beat. That inspired Burnley into action, and they pushed forward and managed to equalise with a deflected shot that bounced off Ashley Barnes and flew past Courtois.
The Blues had the lead again not long after however, as they went down the other end and put Victor Moses in position to blast home from close range.
Eden Hazard then came on for a run around, but the game already looked won and Chelsea played out the remaining minutes calmly.
Here are our ratings from today’s featured Chelsea players…
Starting Eleven:
Thibaut Courtois – 6 – Claimed a couple of nice high balls, but otherwise had nothing to do. Goal was deflected impossibly past him.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6 – Solid against some early pressure and then largely untroubled.
Gary Cahill- 7 – Lovely long ball to pick out Moses for the goal. Great tackle to recover after Ashley Barnes was almost in. Tidy in possession.
Antonio Rudiger- 6 – Never looked troubled by a fairly tame Burnley offensive setup.
Victor Moses- 7 – Generated the goal with a powerful run down the right and a dangerous cross into the six yard area.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 5 – Looked more comfortable than in recent starts but still didn’t provide a huge amount in attack or defence.
N’Golo Kante – 6 – Patrolled the midfield well and kept Burnley pushed back.
Emerson Palmieri- 7 – Showed promise down the right, although was understandably a little cautious in his play. Got forward more in the second half and swung a ball in that lead to Victor Moses’ goal.
Pedro – 6 – His position was a little unclear but his bursts of speed caused danger when he was able to run wide.
Alvaro Morata – 5 – A couple of dangerous early runs and nice links with Giroud but his miss at the start of the second half after breaking clear was criminal.
Olivier Giroud – 6 – Worked hard, dropped deep and tried to create opportunities for his teammates.
Substitutes:
Eden Hazard – 6 – Nice touches and involvement seeing the game out.
Davide Zappacosta – N/A
