Chelsea travelled to Burnley prepared for a difficult game, and boy, did they get it. The Blues left Turf Moor with all three points, and they had to compete hard for it. It is always a difficult place to go to, no matter what the table looks like, but Enzo Maresca's side managed to get the job done.
The game started slowly for the Blues, taking the lead against the run of play through Pedro Neto and looking second best for much of the first 45 minutes. The quality told in the second half, with Maresca’s men having a more comfortable game, before Chelsea finally got a much-needed second goal in the 88th minute.
The goal means that Enzo Fernandez is now Chelsea's top goalscorer this season. Also, the win is a good confidence booster before facing the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal.
Chelsea player ratings vs Burnley
Some players performed much better than others againt Burnley, so here are the player ratings:
Robert Sanchez: 8/10
Sanchez was excellent on the day. His positioning, most notably, was impeccable. He made everything look easy, picking out crosses from the air and sweeping effortlessly. Burnley got forward more than Chelsea fans were comfortable with, but the Spaniard made that a non-factor.
Reece James: 6/10
James was largely uninvolved in the game. He contested just one duel in the first 45 minutes, before being substituted off at halftime. His crosses weren’t connecting, which was an issue. His substitution was more down to workload management than tactics though.
Tosin Adarabioyo: 8/10
Tosin was solid. The 1.96m centre-back made several key blocks. He was excellent in his duels and was by far Chelsea’s best defender on the day. His distribution was great, as expected.
Trevoh Chalobah: 7/10
With three interceptions, Chalobah’s reading of the game was excellent. He and Tosin communicated well, which was important for the clean sheet. Chalobah’s distribution was great as well, helping Chelsea control the game.
Marc Cucurella: 7/10
Cucurella found himself in the final third often, likely by design. This means that he wasn’t that active in his own third. His passing was OK, and he was important for how Chelsea played on the day. The Spaniard played more of an inverted fullback role, meaning he spent most of the game in front of the centre-backs, rather than beside them.
Andrey Santos: 8.5/10
Santos was impeccable. He was the busiest player for Chelsea, popping up in every part of the pitch. His passing was pinpoint, and his reading of the game was even better. He made key interceptions and created goal-scoring chances purely through his defensive actions.
Enzo Fernandez: 7/10
Fernandez was not great, despite making three key passes. His tackling was shaky, and his dribbling left a lot to be desired. Burnley found it relatively easy to get into shooting positions in the first half, and that may be due to the Argentine not contributing much in central midfield. Unfortunately, he didn’t contribute much going forward either. Not until the final five minutes, when he put away a chance created by Marc Guiu.
Pedro Neto: 8/10
Neto was lively. He was a constant presence down the right flank for Chelsea. He didn’t create much, but was clinical when it mattered. His shooting was very good, putting 2/3 shots on target and scoring the opener. He was poor in his duels, though, completing just 1/4 dribbles. The role he played in the second goal was crucial, carrying the ball and passing it to Guiu, who provided the assist that sealed the win.
Joao Pedro: 5/10
Pedro was not effective in the No. 10 role he was deployed in today. That was not entirely down to him though, as Burnley were quite difficult to break down and play against.
Jamie Gittens: 7/10
Gittens was great on the left flank for Chelsea. His dribbling was effective, and he won every duel he contested except one. His contribution in the final third was memorable. His cross for the goal was perfect, putting it on a platter for Neto to guide home.
Liam Delap: 5/10
Delap was ineffective. He took 0/2 shots on target, and lost all five aerial duels he contested. That’s not particularly strange, considering he came up against an aerially dominant centre-back in Maxime Esteve.
Benoit Badiashile (46’): 7.5/10
Badiashile replaced club captain James at halftime, and he was very good. Especially for someone who has missed nine out of the previous 11 games. His passing was good, and he was strong in his duels. He integrated himself perfectly into the backline after coming on, which can be sometimes difficult to do.
Malo Gusto (67’): 7/10
Gusto was solid when he came on. Replacing Delap, he did more than the man he came on for, despite not being an actual striker. He won all his duels, and got his shot on target, recording more shots on target than the English forward.
Marc Guiu (76’): 7.5/10
Guiu was very good against Burnley. He was more of a presence at centre-forward than both Delap and Pedro. He won his duel in the buildup to the second goal, before squaring it to Fernandez for an easy goal.
Enzo Maresca: 7.5/10
Maresca did well to manage the minutes of James, while at the same time getting Badiashile much-needed game time. The former Leicester City manager anticipated the slow first half, and prepared for it, making sure Chelsea remained in control of important parts of the game for the second half.