Chelsea’s weak shooting and shot selection helped Burnley hold to a draw
By George Perry
Chelsea’s poor shooting and shot selection reflected their frustration with Burnley’s rugged defending, but also a lack of offensive will and creativity.
Chelsea left Turf Moor with one point and little else to their credit on Sunday. Everyone knew that Burnley are near impenetrable at home, but Antonio Conte’s men did little to penetrate the Claret wall after conceding the equalizer in the 24th minute.
The Blues dominated pass and possession. They had 71% possession, and completed over three times as many passes as Burnley (615 to 182). However, Burnley put four shots on target compared to their visitors’ two. Worse still for the Blues, those shots both came in the opening 10 minutes.
Chelsea attempted 13 shots against Burnley. Six of those attempts came from outside the box, and Burnley blocked two. Burnley blocked another four in the box. Only Pedro and Eden Hazard gave Tom Heaton reason to worry.
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When Burnley visited Stamford Bridge on 27 August, the Blues were in their much less potent formation and tactical system. Even so, the Blues rattled Heaton with 22 shots. Ten of those found their target, and three hit the back of the net. Chelsea did that with less possession, fewer completed passes and a smaller difference in pass completions between the teams.
Chelsea drew 1-1 away to Liverpool two weeks ago. In that match against a fellow title contender, the Blues had two shots on target from eight total shots, and four came inside the box. Even in the 2-0 loss to Tottenham, the Blues kept Hugo Lloris busier than they did Tom Heaton yesterday.
The last time Chelsea’s shot selection and shot quality was so low was the 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on 11 December. That match came on the heels of thrilling comeback victory over Manchester City. Under those circumstances a let down against a defensively-minded mid-table team was expected.
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The West Brom match began a run against teams that would sit back and absorb Chelsea’s high press. The first three of those games – West Brom, Sunderland and Crystal Palace – ended 1-0 to the Blues.
Even against those teams, and then later against Stoke City, Chelsea effectively penetrated the box with runs and passes. Whether the result was 1-0 or 4-2 (Stoke), Chelsea found ways around and through the parked buses to threaten a runaway scoreline.
Despite the gap between the two teams, Burnley by far had the better of the day. The hosts executed their game plan to perfection. They are physically strong, mentally unshakeable at home and well-versed in Sean Dyche’s style. This fixture showed that they are thoroughly a Premier League team, even if their away form limits their progress up the table. Despite the gap between the two teams, the hosts had the better of the day.
That said, Chelsea showed neither the team tactics nor individual brilliance that has powered them to the top of the Premier League. The Blues needed a frenetic winding run by Pedro behind the Clarets’ back-line to get on a Nemanja Matic through-ball after a patient build-up. Or a perfectly weighted pass from Cesc Fabregas to Diego Costa after playing out from the back. Or an out-of-nowhere moment of brilliance from Eden Hazard, Willian or someone unpredictable.
Next: Chelsea's player ratings as Burnley frustrates the Blues to a 1-1 draw
In the grand scheme of the season, the draw was an off-day and a blip. But it shows some of Chelsea’s lingering weaknesses that the club must address before Premier League and Champions League opponents can exploit them next season.