CHELSEA PUNICK AGAINST BURNLEY

Chelsea remain a hard team to work out. Some numbers suggest that they should be higher in the table, a point not lost on Pochettino, and they look good when everything goes their way. Confidence was not an issue when Palmer put Chelsea ahead with an impudent penalty a minute before the end of an agreeably open period. Yet it was hard to look past the gaps at the other end. 

The crowd, while mostly supportive after recent unrest in the stands, still exuded angst whenever Burnley found room in the final third. Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lyle Foster sent efforts off target when the game was goalless. Djordje Petrovic made a fine save from Wilson Odobert. Of course, Burnley’s willingness to play suited Chelsea. It was not long before Palmer was causing mischief. The Chelsea playmaker operated a shoot-on-sight policy during the first 20 minutes. 

H was unlucky not to open the scoring from Malo Gusto’s cutback, while there were openings for Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernández. Burnley needed their goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric, to be in inspired form. Burnley often looked stretched, particularly when Chelsea countered, and Assignon struggled against Mykhailo Mudryk. The winger, who secured Ukraine’s place at Euro 2024, could have had an assist when his cross reached the far post, only for John Brooks, the VAR, to spot that Axel Disasi had turned the ball into the net with an arm. Chelsea kept finding Mudryk, whose first thought was also to go forward. Assignon’s first booking came after Mudryk broke out of a tight spot with a delightful piece of footwork. 

Mxudryk had the beating of the Burnley right-back. Instead of allowing their level to drop after a slew of missed chances, Chelsea kept pressing against that weak spot. The key moment of the half, Assignon fouling Mudryk for the penalty, felt inevitable. Not that it stopped Burnley from seeing injustice. Assignon was in a bad defensive position, but contact with Mudryk was soft and Vincent Kompany raged when Darren England, the referee, showed the defender a second booking after pointing to the spot. Cole Palmer scores a penalty for Chelsea against Burnley in the 44th minute.