2 December 2053 — Turf Moor, Burnley. Chelsea tightened their grip on the Premier League summit with a comfortable 3-1 away win over struggling Burnley, thanks to a performance that blended midfield control with moments of decisive incision. While the scoreline flatters the hosts, it flattered Chelsea’s composure even more.
🎯 O’Sullivan Breaks Burnley
It was Kieran O’Sullivan who started the scoring on 18 minutes, arriving late into the box to finish off a precise move. From that point, Chelsea never looked threatened. Burnley’s Santiago made matters worse for the hosts on 32 minutes, gifting Johnny Jenkins the chance to strike, and his vicious volley—deflected in—doubled the lead.
In truth, Burnley looked well short of belief. Their best players were defenders, and they managed just two shots all match. They also lost the xG battle by a yawning margin (0.24 vs 2.79).
⚙️ Ruthless Chelsea, Toothless Burnley
Francesco Rustignoli assisted Chelsea’s third with a clever ball in behind for Kyle Steenson, who kept his composure and slotted past the onrushing Soubhia. There was a momentary chance to add gloss when Scott Crichton won a penalty, but the Burnley keeper guessed right to keep it at 3-0.
Shon Mishpati did eventually seal it late with a thumping header in the 90th minute, restoring the three-goal cushion after Rhys Bartley’s header had briefly reduced the deficit.
📊 Match Stats
- Shots: Burnley 2 / Chelsea 19
- xG: Burnley 0.24 / Chelsea 2.79
- Possession: Burnley 37% / Chelsea 63%
- Pass Accuracy: Burnley 80% / Chelsea 89%
- Headers Won: Burnley 33% / Chelsea 63%
Player of the Match: Nabil Lahyane – 7.8 Match Rating
Attendance: 21,744
📉 Burnley’s Slide Deepens
Burnley sit 18th in the table and continue to suffer from chronic weaknesses in aerial duels, set-piece defending, and creativity. With just 0.04 xG from set pieces per game—the league’s worst—they remain passive in both boxes.
💬 Final Word
This was never about the scoreline. It was about control. Chelsea now move to 37 points from 14 games and have won three of their last five away matches in the league. The title contenders keep marching, while Burnley desperately search for a foothold.
Previous match:
→ 4-1 vs Tottenham