Chelsea 2-0 Burnley: 5 Talking Points as Thomas Tuchel registers first victory as Blues manager | Premier League 2020-21 

Chelsea registered a victory over Burnley.
Chelsea registered a victory over Burnley.

#3 Poor Burnley fail to turn up at Stamford Bridge

Burnley were ineffective against Chelsea.
Burnley were ineffective against Chelsea.

Although Chelsea deserve praise for controlling proceedings against Burnley, their victory owed much to the non-application from the visitors.

For the entirety of the game, Burnley struggled to get going and failed to force Edouard Mendy into action. The Chelsea goalkeeper was a relative spectator for most of the game, with Burnely forwards Chris Wood and Matt Vydra largely on the periphery.

The visitors also failed to make the most of their set-piece opportunities and Sean Dyche will be massively disappointed with how his side performed at Stamford Bridge.

The Clarets had shown great determination to come from behind and defeat Aston Villa 3-2 in their last game. They were also on a three-game winning run that included ending Liverpool's Anfield 'invincibility'.

However, they put up a no-show against Chelsea and were deserved losers.


#2 Chelsea defenders step to the fore in place of misfiring forwards

Marcos Alonso (centre) scored the second goal for Chelsea.
Marcos Alonso (centre) scored the second goal for Chelsea.

Chelsea spent a considerable amount to beef up their attack last summer, but so far, most of their marquee arrivals have failed to turn up.

After firing blanks against Wolves last week, Chelsea made a shake-up in attack, with all three frontmen changed for the visit of Burnley.

It was, however, the same story, as Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham struggled to contribute anything of note.

It took the efforts of two defenders to get the first goals of the Tuchel era, and the technique deployed in both goals belied the fact that they were defenders.

The best player on the day was also technically a defender, casting further aspersion on Chelsea's expensively-assembled attack.


#1 Tammy Abraham could have fitness issues

Tammy Abraham was substituted at half-time.
Tammy Abraham was substituted at half-time.

Tammy Abraham was handed his first start under Thomas Tuchel in place of Olivier Giroud.

The England international, however, struggled to impose himself on the game. His hold-up play was weak, considering he was playing against physical defenders, while he also failed to take advantage of a few promising positions.

At the start of the second half, the 23-year-old did not follow his teammates onto the field, with Christian Pulisic coming on in his stead.

There did not appear to have been any physical complaints in the first half, but Tammy Abraham's poor performance might have warranted the change.

Thomas Tuchel has a history of being ruthless with underperforming players; although no official confirmation has been given for the change, this might have been an indication of his no-nonsense approach to management.

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