Burnley 2-3

Observer:

Chelsea 2 Burnley 3

Nine-man Chelsea shocked by Sam Vokes double for Burnley

Barney Ronay at Stamford Bridge


There are title defences. And then there are Chelsea title defences. As an exercise in exploring how quickly a steamrollering champion team can be reduced to a frazzled, meandering rabble, Chelsea’s opening 45 minutes of the Premier League season here against Burnley is likely to take some beating.

A red card for the captain, Gary Cahill, on 13 minutes was followed by goals from Sam Vokes, Stephen Ward and Vokes again as Burnley produced a performance as controlled and incisive as Chelsea were flaccid.

Reduced to 10 men and 3-0 down at the break against a team they had not lost to since 1971, Chelsea did rouse themselves in the second half, Álvaro Morata scoring his first goal for the club before Cesc Fàbregas was also sent off, shown a second yellow card for a lunging challenge.

David Luiz pulled back another to make it 3-2 at the end and draw a roar of defiance around Stamford Bridge. But really this was a disastrous start for the champions, and an opening day defeat that some will suggest came heavily trailed.

It is no secret there has been discontent around the place, not least friction between manager and club hierarchy. So profound was the ambient gloom during a summer when Chelsea replenished rather than expanded their squad that casual observers might have assumed Antonio Conte’s team would start here already trailing on minus five points, or with the kit-man squeezed into a spare pair of shorts at kick-off.

The Chelsea team sheet did have an air of shoulders being shrugged towards the directors’ boxes. Jérémie Boga made his debut in midfield, nine years after joining the club as an 11-year-old and moving from Marseille to New Malden. Antonio Rüdiger started in a three-man defence and Michy Batshuayi led the attack, albeit only in name during 59 largely feeble minutes on the pitch. On the bench Kenedy emerged from his doghouse to sit alongside an assortment of kids, a record signing No9 and the substitute goalkeeper.

For Burnley Jack Cork made his debut as Sean Dyche packed the centre of the pitch. And Burnley were hugely impressive here, starting in a rush and pressing hard and high up the pitch. Albeit the game had barely got out of second gear when Cahill received a straight red for a challenge on Steven Defour. Cahill overstretched as he missed the ball. His studs were visible. Craig Pawson produced the card instantly. Modern precedents suggest it was fair, although it was hardly a vicious foul.

Moments later Vokes had the ball in the net from an offside position after a bout of headed pingpong as Chelsea struggled to rejig. And on 24 minutes Burnley went ahead via another soft goal on the weekend the world forgot how to defend. Matthew Lowton advanced unimpeded down the right and floated in a cross that was missed by David Luiz and Vokes beat Thibaut Courtois with a faint contact that dribbled perfectly into the far corner.

The Burnley end rejoiced, Dyche punched the air and Chelsea continued to play like a team still sleepwalking through the dog days of summer, astonishingly short on passing rhythm or any kind of combinations going forward without Eden Hazard on the pitch.


In the shakeup after Cahill’s red, Conte had taken off Boga and brought on Andreas Christensen to keep his defence the same shape but there was a striking feebleness to Chelsea’s right side as Burnley went 2-0 up five minutes before half-time. Not that anything should take away from the quality of Ward’s goal after a short free-kick, the left-back weaving into the area then spanking a wonderful shot into the far corner.

Things fall apart. The centre cannot hold. At least, this often seems to be the case when David Luiz is involved. Within three minutes it was 3-0: another simple cross from the right by Defour, another terrible piece of marking by the Brazilian and another headed finish by Vokes in hectares of space.

Chelsea came haring out early after the break and to their credit they rallied. Alonso had a fierce free-kick well saved by Tom Heaton. Morata added some guile, holding the ball up well and producing a neat finish after Willian’s cross from the right.

And by the end Stamford Bridge was in uproar for the right reasons as Chelsea pressed hard, Burnley hung on with great heart and the home crowd could at least cheer their bloodied champions from the pitch at the end of a wild season’s opener.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Burnley 3: Antonio Conte accuses his players of losing the plot during first-half meltdown

Matt Law

No club does meltdowns quite like Chelsea and, for 45 minutes, they looked ready to provide one of their best yet.

Make no mistake, the Blues were embarrassed by a Burnley team tipped to be fighting relegation in the first half of what proved to be a chaotic start to the season.

But despite finishing their first game with nine men and becoming the first reigning Premier League champions to concede three goals in the opening match of their title defence, Chelsea almost produced a miracle recovery.

Goals from record signing Alvaro Morata and David Luiz gave Burnley an almighty scare, but the damage had been done for Chelsea who will now be without captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas for next week’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea have had players sent off against Arsenal in the FA Cup final and Community Shield, and against Burnley, and manager Antonio Conte said: “You can see in the last three games we finished twice with 10 men against Arsenal and now with nine men.

“I have to study formations with 10 and nine players because when this happens so regularly, you must be worried.

“After Gary Cahill’s red card, we lost composure and conceded three goals. We have to improve in this respect and we must pay attention to think there is the rest of the game to do our best. Today I saw two faces, one negative in the first half when we easily lost our heads and one positive in the second.”

On referee Craig Pawson’s performance, Conte added: “I prefer not to comment on referee decisions. But the performance, I think that the coach can make mistakes, the players can make mistakes and the referee…yeah.”

Conte ditched the suit he wore with distinction last season for a tracksuit, but the players started even more casually than the Italian against Burnley, who took until April to win away from home in the Premier League last season.

It took just 14 minutes for Cahill to be sent-off for a lunge on Steven Defour. Replays suggested Pawson’s decision to show his red card may have been harsh, but it was reckless from the England international.

As if to highlight the lack of options available to him, with Eden Hazard, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Pedro and Victor Moses all ruled out, Conte started with 20-year-old Jeremie Boga in a front three with Michy Batshuayi and Willian.

But Conte dismissed any suggestions he was trying to send a message to Chelsea’s board about the need for signings by saying: “I don’t like this type of thing for someone to send a message. Why? Why? I want to win, not to send a message.”

Boga’s Chelsea debut lasted just 18 minutes, as Conte reacted to Cahill’s red card by sending defender Andreas Christensen on to replace the winger.

The 10 men collapsed spectacularly in front of Conte’s eyes and a stunned Stamford Bridge, as Burnley took advantage of their extra man by claiming the lead through Sam Vokes.

The Wales international got to Matthew Lowton’s cross ahead of Luiz and steered the ball past Thibaut Courtois.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche has suffered his own problems this summer, losing two of last season’s best players – defender Michael Keane and striker Andre Gray.


But, unlike the hosts, the Clarets were not feeling sorry for themselves and doubled their lead in style. Stephen Ward swapped passes with Jack Cork, raced past N’Golo Kante and fired an angled shot into the net.

The travelling Burnley fans were in dreamland and Chelsea’s first-half embarrassment was complete two minutes before the break.

Chelsea still had three central defenders on the pitch and yet none of them marked a Burnley player, as Defour crossed from the right and Vokes easily headed past Courtois.

There had been little ranting or raving from Conte on the touchline, but his patience snapped shortly after the third goal as he argued with Dyche over a late challenge by Antonio Rudiger.


Conte also waited to speak to Pawson as the teams headed down the tunnel for half time, but one suspects his own players got a bigger tongue lashing than the referee.

It took Conte 14 minutes of the second half to decide he had seen enough of the ineffectual Batshuayi and replace the Belgian with Morata to much applause. The change proved the catalyst for a fightback from Chelsea, with Morata giving encouraging signs over his suitability to replace Diego Costa.

Conte applauded ironically after Willian was adjudged to be fouled, which was pointed it out to the fourth official by Dyche and the two coaches clashed again when Conte wanted more than a yellow card for Ben Mee following the defender’s tackle on Morata.

Finally, there was something for Conte and Chelsea to really cheer in the 69th minute, as Morata grabbed a debut goal that gave some hope of an unlikely comeback. Willian crossed the ball from the right and Morata dived in front of the Burnley defence to head past helpless goalkeeper Tom Heaton.


The goal injected some fight into the Chelsea and the hosts thought they had pulled another one back four minutes later, but Morata was given offside after tapping Christensen’s effort into the net. Kante sent a shot just wide, but all hope looked to be lost when Fabregas received his marching orders with nine minutes remaining.

Having been booked for ironically applauding Pawson in the first half, the Spaniard was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Cork. That was not the end of this incredible encounter, however, as Luiz gave Burnley the biggest of frights by latching on to Morata’s headed flick on to grab Chelsea’s second goal with two minutes remaining.

There was still time for Robbie Brady to strike the post with a free-kick for Burnley and Chelsea to throw everybody forwards in search of an equaliser, but Dyche’s men just about hung on.

“For starters, it’s a win and it’s an away win,” said Dyche. “It kills those two things off and it’s brilliant for the players. I thought the referee was fantastic, to handle the whole occasion, the stadium, the decisions. My staff tell me that he got them (the sending offs) right.”



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Independent:

Nine-man Chelsea beaten at the Bridge after Burnley hold on for shock away victory in Premier League opener

Chelsea 2 Burnley 3: Antonio Conte's champions, reduced to nine men following red cards for Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas, got their title defence off to the worst start at Stamford Bridge

Miguel Delaney

Sensational, unprecedented - and yet still somewhat familiar for Chelsea. Antonio Conte’s nine-man side were beaten 3-2 by a ruthless Burnley to become just the second defending Premier League champions ever to lose on the opening weekend, after Leicester City last season, and the first to do so at home - but those already remarkable stats barely begin to tell the story of this game.

There can never have been a first match as stunningly eyebrow-raising as this, and it went way beyond Aston Villa’s famous 3-1 win over Manchester United in 1995-96. Chelsea were simply smashed in the first half.

That was partly their own collapse in that period but mostly because Burnley so astutely sensed vulnerability and then so admirably just went for it, punishing Conte’s dishevelled side time and again. If it feels somewhat unfair that Sean Dyche and his players don’t get the focus for that, it’s because of the obvious wider context, from the fact the defending champions have been so levelled by a team many expect to be relegated.

The 2015/16 campaign hung over so much of this and, even if it is clearly overblown to immediately start thinking the same will happen - especially given the Alvaro Morata-inspired late rally - there were parallels that were impossible to escape.

At the very least, it similarly showed the power of momentum and mood in football as the match only escalated in shocks, just like the start of that notorious meltdown season.

Conte went into this campaign so publicly disgruntled about transfers, just like Jose Mourinho in 2015, with that leaving him with a depleted side for the first game - at least five regularly playing champions out and 20-year-old Jeremie Boga starting - and also setting the wrong tone and the wrong mood. There was just a palpable unease about the champions, an anxiety, and that became manifest on 14 minutes when Gary Cahill lunged in for a ball he miscontrolled to then take out Steven Defour and get sent off.

That negative momentum was only picking up, and was really rolling 10 minutes later when Sam Vokes efficiently directed in a Matthew Lowton cross to make it 1-0. That it seemed to take a deflection off David Luiz to take it past a despairing Thibaut Courtois only deepened the sense that there was something wrong with Chelsea, that this wasn’t going to be one of those afternoons.


Burnley knew it was one of those rare opportunities, and that was never better illustrated than when Stephen Ward scored a rare absolute screamer on 39 minutes. Chesting down a flick at the far corner of the 18-yard box, the Irish international let it bounce up before brilliantly volleying the ball past Courtois.

It was stunning, but still not as stunning as what was to come. Four minutes later, Vokes got another, heading in a Defour free-kick unmarked.

The champions were 3-0 down at home, but with multiple problems to think about.

As woeful as this was and as agitated and apoplectic as Conte was getting, he could still plead a few caveats, and there was also the fact this was the finest argument yet for more signings.

He could mostly point to the team-sheet - that was even more depleted than United’s famous line-up on that opening day in 1995-96 - and would surely have only emboldened Burnley.

Without the suspended Victor Moses, the injured Eden Hazard and Pedro, the sold Nemanja Matic, and with new signing Morata not yet fully fit, Conte had to start with a greatly improvised XI.

The side’s unfamiliarity with each other only made Chelsea more disconnected and out of sorts, with that gradually more pronounced as they suffered those escalating shocks of the Cahill red card and a steady stream of stunning Burnley goals.

Even then, though, Conte could take some solace from a genuinely spirited second-half fight-back that brought them to the brink of an equaliser.

Then there was the admirable influence of Morata. He may not have been fit enough to start the game but he was fit enough to change it once he came on, scoring a fine header from a brilliant Willian cross on 69 minutes and then flicking on for David Luiz to make it 2-0 on 87 minutes. The unfair irony was that he may have cost Chelsea a point by tapping in Andreas Christensen’s shot from an offside position that saw the flag go up, but he was still the one that made that relevant.

The momentum had by then completely shifted, something that was all the more remarkable given that Cesc Fabregas had been sent off before the David Luiz goal for a second yellow card, as Chelsea still somehow looked so close to an equaliser. They came close, too, with Marcos Alonso having a shot cleared off the line in the last action of the game.

Conte will hope it is that rally and spirit that influences next week’s match to recover from this, but then you remember that he will now be without Cahill and Fabregas, and that that match is away to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.


It is already so key, already so possible that it perpetuates this negative momentum.

Chelsea have to find a way to stop it, they have to get back to what was familiar from last season - not 2015/16.

They need to ensure this was the falsest of starts.



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Mail:

Chelsea 2-3 Burnley: Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas see red as Sam Vokes brace gives champions worst possible start to Premier League title defence


Chelsea have developed an unfortunate habit of summoning dark clouds from a clear blue sky and on Saturday the Premier League champions followed the glory of their title win last season by beckoning one hell of a deluge in the opening match of the defence of their crown.

After a summer of discontent, speculation about the future of manager Antonio Conte, disquiet about the sale of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, an ugly wrangle with Diego Costa, the departure of John Terry and a perceived shortfall in signings, Chelsea chose a spectacular way to implode at Stamford Bridge.

They had their new captain, Gary Cahill, sent off in the 14th minute and were reduced to nine men late in the second half when Cesc Fabregas was also dismissed. In between they had shipped three goals to a team who only won once away in the league during the entirety of last season.


With 10 men, and then with nine, Chelsea did at least mount a stirring attempt to claw their way back into the game and if there was any cause for optimism, it was in the substitute performance of Alvaro Morata, who scored one and made one on his debut.

Even Morata’s display was not without a stain, though. He was offside when he prodded in a goalbound effort from young Danish substitute Andreas Christensen. If he had not touched it, Chelsea might at least have salvaged a point from this sorry debacle.

That does not alter the fact that Chelsea gave the impression of being a side in disarray. Conte’s teamsheet looked like an angry message to the Chelsea board about failures in recruitment, even if he has spent £126 million in the last couple of months. The bench was packed with the kind of names Danny Rose would have had to Google and the young Ivory Coast midfielder, Jeremie Boga, was handed a debut. It did not last long.

On the sideline, Conte, who has unloaded promising youngsters Nathaniel Chalobah, Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma, looked a man wishing he had had the courage of his convictions and quit in the summer.

‘I want to win, not send a message,’ he said of his team selection later, but he is now the bookmakers’ favourite to be the first Premier League manager to leave his club this season. It was only one game but the manner of Chelsea’s defeat spoke of a club where all is not well.

It all seemed like a curious way to build on a title victory. This has happened before, of course. Chelsea have won the title five times in the Roman Abramovich era and only retained it once. The last time they won it under Jose Mourinho, they finished 10th the next season and the Portuguese was sacked.

When Carlo Ancelotti won the title in 2010, he finished the next season second and was sacked in a corridor at Goodison Park after the final match of the campaign.

This was only the first game of their latest title defence, but Chelsea’s season has been born under a bad sign.


Pedro and Eden Hazard, who are both injured, brought the Premier League trophy out on to the pitch before the game. They were met with polite applause but there was an air of trepidation.

Much has changed over the summer. Terry may only have been a bit-part player last season but he was a symbol of continuity and loyalty. Even though the sign that acclaims him ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ still hangs from the upper tier of the Matthew Harding Stand, his absence is felt by the fans.

There was no Costa, either. His whereabouts are unknown and his position is said to be the subject of a ‘legal process’, which makes him sound like a fugitive. It is almost certain he will move to Atletico Madrid before the end of the month.


For all his awkwardness, Costa was a crucial part of this Chelsea side. His cussedness and his indomitability, not to mention his ability in front of goal, softened up opposing defences and made gaps for the flair players. Morata, who came off the bench after an hour, is a very different kind of striker but, still, he has big boots to fill.

Chelsea had not lost on the opening day of the season since 1998 but their troubles off the pitch did not take long to transfer to the action. They appeared most obviously in a lack of discipline. Marcos Alonso was booked very early for a high and late tackle on Matt Lowton and Cahill was sent off soon after.

The Chelsea skipper, whose image adorned the front of the programme, overran the ball in midfield and lunged forward to try to recover it, catching Steven Defour. It was not malicious but it was a poor tackle and referee Craig Pawson immediately brandished a red card.

Poor Boga. He was the first victim of the reorganisation when he was substituted for Christensen. His debut lasted 16 minutes. Maybe he will reflect that he was lucky to have missed what happened next. Chelsea collapsed. Even though they were reduced to 10 men, the manner of their capitulation was startling.

The first blow came 10 minutes after Cahill’s dismissal when Sam Vokes helped on a Lowton cross with the inside of his right boot. It took a slight deflection off David Luiz and sneaked past Thibaut Courtois into the corner.

Chelsea did not seem to have any idea of how to get back into the game or stem the Burnley tide. Too often, they resorted to aimless long balls that the Burnley defence dealt easily with. Michy Batshuayi, starting ahead of Morata, was invisible except when his control was so poor it prompted groans from the crowd.

Burnley deserve plenty of credit. For a start, it is worth mentioning that they have not yet replaced Michael Keane, who was sold to Everton for £25m. ‘We’ve only spent three quid,’ the Burnley fans sang gleefully as they battered Chelsea into submission in the opening 45 minutes.


Vokes bullied Luiz out of his rhythm and Defour and Jack Cork were superb in the centre of midfield. It was no more than they deserved when they extended their lead six minutes before half-time.

It was a peach of a goal, too. Stephen Ward played a one-two with Cork on the left side of the Chelsea area and then unleashed a stunning left-foot volley that flew beyond the despairing dive of Chelsea’s goalkeeper.

Four minutes later, things started to appear faintly surreal when Burnley went 3-0 up. This time, Defour’s cross found Vokes totally unmarked and he flicked his header past Courtois. It was another fine goal but Chelsea’s defending was shambolic.

Chelsea came close to scoring after an hour when Alonso curled a free kick over the Burnley wall but Tom Heaton tipped it acrobatically over the crossbar. The home crowd grew increasingly fractious as the clock ticked down and the goal did not come. Mr Pawson, inevitably, was singled out for abuse.

But eventually, the goal did come. There were 21 minutes left when Willian curled in a delicious ball from the right and Morata, who had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes, flung himself forwards to glance the ball into the corner of Heaton’s net.

The revival did not last long. Chelsea threatened Burnley’s goal briefly and N’Golo Kante bent a shot wide but it was hardly a siege. The momentum was lost eight minutes from time when Fabregas was sent off for a second bookable offence, a lunging foul on Cork.

Luiz still managed to set up a tense ending, firing in a fine volley after a terrific headed assist from Morata, with two minutes of normal time left, but Robbie Brady hit the post for Burnley from a free kick and an equaliser remained one step beyond the champions.




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