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.
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