Cheers all round as Chelsea drink up the three points in 3-0 win against Clarets
By Paul Lagan
Burnley 0 v Chelsea 3
Chelsea produced a near faultless performance to secure all three Premier League points in a convincing 3-0 win away to Burnley this afternoon.
Strikes from Hakim Ziyech, a thumping hear from Kurt Zouma and a quality, composed finish by Timo Werner were more than enough to see off a dour Turf Moor outfit.
The difference in class was evident and the only chance the home side had was if, not when the west Londoners made a mistake at the back.
Ironically, that came on five minutes when a regulation long ball bisected the Chelsea rearguard and Ashley Barnes trapped the ball running into the penalty area. But Edouard Mendy was quick off his line, forcing Barnes to clip the ball over the goalkeeper, but also over the crossbar.
Head coach Frank Lampard had a pre-match injury scare when Christian Pulisic, in the starting line-up had to pull out - in came Werner.
Nick Pope tipped over his crossbar a looping header by Tammy Abraham on 15 minutes as the Blues took command of the ball following the early scare.
But on 25 minutes, the sheer weight of pressure told as fine intricate play including Abraham and Ziyech saw the Morocco wide-man drive home a low left-footer from the edge of the penalty area past Nick Pope to take a 1-0 lead. The visitors continued to dominate the play, with Burnley occasionally making a foray into the Blues final third without any real threat.
Lampard made no changes for the Blues at half-time.
Mason Mount had the first chance of the restart - a 25 yard free-kick. But Pope was equal to the task, smothering the ball at the base of his left post as it became business as usual.
Mount had a another effort two minutes later on 52 minutes - a long-range effort this time - again Pope snatched the ball to safety.
The west Londoners doubled their lead on 64 minutes when Mount sent across a powerful corner and the ball was met by a thumper of a header when Zouma rose unchallenged to ping the ball home.
It was the Frenchman’s third goal of the season.
Number three was soon coming, and it was a tidy team move involving Reece James and Kai Havertz who slotted the ball to the in-running Timo Werner who took his time and curled an smart right-footer past Pope to secure the three points.
Lampard replaced Ziyech with Callum Hudson-Odoi four minutes later as Lampard gave minutes to his squad without ever feeing the game was going to get away from him.
A disappointing Abraham was then withdrawn, with Olivier Giroud taking his place on 77 minutes.
The Frenchman’s second touch saw him slot the ball home cooly but he was adjudged to have slipped offside and the effort was disallowed.
The Blues move up to fourth place in the league.
Teams: Chelsea, Mendy, James, Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Kante, Mount, Ziyech, Havertz, Abraham, Werner
Subs: Rudiger, Jorginho, Caballero, Azpilicueta, Ziger, Giroud, Hudson-Odoi Burnley, Pope, Lowton, Long, Tarkowski, Taylor Brownhill, Westwood, Stephens, McNeil, Barnes, Wood.
Subs, Brady, Peacock-Farrell, Rodriguez, Vydra, Thompson, Dunne, Richardson.
Referee: David Coote
