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Chelsea drew 2-2 with Burnley in a very negative and absolutely shambolic match. Maurizio Sarri fielded a strong XI hoping to capitalize on the slip-ups by Arsenal and Manchester United on Sunday.
Chelsea started the game off with the intent of keeping their usual possession but were stung when the clock reached the eight-minute mark. Burnley went ahead courtesy of a fantastic first-time volley from a poor clearance.
The Blues replied with Eden Hazard tormenting his counterpart and assisting N'Golo Kante. Chelsea soon took the lead by some good buildup play followed by a neat finish from Higuain. Burnley then equalized through Ashley Barnes putting the pressure back on Chelsea.
What followed was some extraordinary time-wasting, which to be fair, can be justified to an extent considering Burnley's position in the table. But, even the away fans would have gotten bored of their side's negativity and would have wanted them to put on a quality display.
With that being said, a team which starts wasting time as soon as the whistle goes off just doesn't deserve to play for the First Division of English Football. Here, we take a look at what went wrong for the Blues on Monday night:
Burnley's Negative Approach
Burnley are currently struggling in the lower half of the table. After finishing 7th last season, this season has seen a fall from the heavens. Throughout the match, it was clear, Burnley had come to Stamford Bridge for one point and they were content to sit back, defend, waste time and just starve Chelsea for chances.
They were overly physical, pounding, pushing and kicking whenever Chelsea threatened to weave something. This approach clearly got into Chelsea's nerves and, moreover, conceding from a set-piece, a sight seen all season, frustrated the Blues.
Chelsea were unable to break down the 11-man (yes, you read that right) wall. Burnley have played good tactical football over the past two seasons but what they attempted last night was something that isn't expected from a team that was fighting for a spot in European Football last season.
Finishing Woes
Throughout the season, Chelsea has managed to create numerous chances but have failed to put them into the back of the net. The midfield has lacked goals as the likes of Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic have not been able to do much in the opposition box. Jorginho was never expected to score goals and Kante's finishing has improved by miles but is still a work in progress.
The fullbacks at Chelsea aren't providing too many assists and the frontline rely too much on Eden Hazard. Willian and Pedro work quite hard but just aren't at the required level when you compare them to the likes of attacking prowess even on the bench for teams like Manchester City.
Gonzalo Higuain hasn't scored often, even though he did last night, and is too slow for the Premier League. Olivier Giroud is in amazing form but has only played on Thursday nights.
Chelsea needs to start being clinical in front of the goal. The Blues took 22 shots yesterday and only 9 were on target. What is further astonishing is that only 2 shots ended up in the back of the net. Further, Chelsea only forced the Burnley keeper into only 2 decent saves in the second half when they were chasing the game.
Critical Injuries
Stamford Bridge saw N'Golo Kante get substituted due to a back injury. Kante had opened the scoring and was doing the vital work in the midfield of linking the defence and the attack. It was heartbreaking for the Chelsea fans to see Kante off injured especially when they were looking for a goal.
Callum-Hudson Odoi was off injured at half-time in what looked like a very serious injury and a very serious blow to his young blooming career. It is being reported that it will take 6-9 months for the recovery and it really doesn't look pretty for Chelsea as well as for the youngster.
The two injuries definitely caused Chelsea a huge headache as the balance of the team shifted and they had problems adjusting. It also had a massive mental impact and only added to the frustration of the blues.
Off-Field Drama
Maurizio Sarri was continuously encroaching the opposition technical area last night. What he was trying to do and whether he did it unknowingly is anyone's guess. But what happened in the final moments of the game was rather surprising. Sarri was sent off by the referee and there was a massive tussle between both the teams.
Sarri has accused the Burnley bench of continuously abusing him with ethnic rants. Taking action against that is the Football Association's job, but something like this is not acceptable in today's world.
On one hand, we all are continuously fighting against racism and promoting the spirit of the game and on the other, Dyche's men, seasoned professionals (at least that's what everyone thought), shout rants at the opposition's manager.
Despite whatever they said, it is important to understand that emotions were running high for both sides and things might have been said in the heat of the moment. However, the Association has to look into this and properly investigate what happened.
