Chelsea 2-2 Burnley: 3 Blues Talking Points

Chaos outside and inside the club

Chelsea had a glimmer of hope, capitalizing on an early goal and an extra man, setting the stage for what should have been a much needed victory. However, their hopes were dashed as they let the game slip away, leaving them with a bitter taste of missed opportunities and shattered dreams of European glory. Burnley, on the other hand, played with a determination, converting their limited chances with deadly precision, adding to Chelsea's gloom. Off the field, the mood was equally somber.

During the international break, Chelsea's Supporters’ Trust delivered a stark warning to the owners about the club's tarnished image, hinting at a potential downfall. It’s hard to blame them when we’ve seen absolutely zero progress made from last season. Just a quick little fact, Chelsea's tally of goals conceded in the Premier League this season has reached 47, already matching their total from the previous season - it’s still March. CFC is slowly but surely losing grip on any European places; the only light we can see in the distance is at Wembley against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinals.

“We should be top four”

Prior to the match, Pochettino claimed that his team should be much higher in the table rather than in midtable as suggested by "statistics."

"If you look at all the parameters and stats that are used on radio, tv and newspapers we should be in the top four […] What does all the data mean? That we are in a good way. We need time with experience playing together."

- Mauricio Pochettino

Since Pochettino's takeover last summer, Chelsea has found themselves in a downward spiral, currently languishing in 11th place and trailing the Champions League spots by a significant 16 points, following a disappointing 2-2 draw with Burnley over the weekend. This dismal performance is far from the return on investment by the new Chelsea owners had envisioned after splashing over £1 billion on new signings since taking control in 2022.

Despite a brace from Cole Palmer, a £40 million signing from Manchester City last summer, the team's struggles were evident as Mykhailo Mudryk failed to make an impact once again, and the highly priced Moises Caicedo was substituted for Raheem Sterling in the 73rd minute. Pochettino's optimistic claims before the game now seem rather laughable in hindsight. Why couldn’t stats beat 10-man Burnley? Why were Burnley dictating the game in the early stages prior to losing a man?