'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Burnley dished out the biggest surprise of opening gameweek as they beat defending Champions Chelsea on the opening day of the Premier League. The game, which was played at Stamford Bridge, came to life when Gary Cahill was sent off for a lunge on Steven Defour and Burnley made their hosts pay dearly as goals from Sam Vokes either side of a splendid strike by Stephen Ward gave Burnley an unlikely 3 goal lead at the half time.
Chelsea looked to have found a way back into the game midway through the second half when Alvaro Morata scored his first for the club, but a second dismissal in the form of Cesc Fabregas pushed the Blues back further. Even a late David Luiz goal could not save Chelsea the blushes at home. Here are the player ratings from the game.
Chelsea
Thibaut Courtois – 5/10
The Belgian shot-stopper’s positioning came under scrutiny for the first Burnley goal as he failed to stop a rather meek shot from Sam Vokes. While he could do very little for the remaining two Burnley goals, he was saved from embarrassment late in the game by the post as he failed to deal with a Robbie Brady free-kick.
Antonio Rudiger – 6/10
The German defender endured a tough start to his Premier League career as he failed to deal with the attacking threat of Burnley. While being impressive in the air, the former AS Roma man found the going tough on the ground and we believe he might take some more time to adapt to life in a new league.
Gary Cahill- 2/10
Chelsea were in the game till their captain decided to go into a full-bloodied tackle on Steven Defour. Sadly for the Chelsea fans, he earned himself a red card in only the 14th minute, thus forcing Antonio Conte into reorganising his side.
David Luiz – 5/10
The Brazilian did not have a comfortable evening by any measure as he was bullied in and around the box by Burnley and could be deemed responsible for Vokes’ second goal of the evening. What made matters worse for the player was that he played into the hands of Burnley’s physical approach and seemed to have lost his head during the game. While he did score late in the game, it came perhaps too little too late.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6/10
One of Chelsea’s most consistent players of the last season, Azpilicueta was forced to play as a right-wing back and struggled to make the kind of impact that was expected of him. With his side chasing the game from the 24th minute, the Spaniard was required to provide quality on the flanks which he failed to do for a large duration of the game.
N’Golo Kante – 6/10
It is not often that we seen N’Golo Kante let a player beat him with ease. However, the clash with Burnley was one such game which proved that even Kante was beatable after all as he let Stephen Ward go past him with ease. While it was a usually industrious evening for the Frenchman, a lot more is expected from the PFA Player of the year.
Marcos Alonso – 7/10
Alonso was amongst the few Chelsea players that actually threatened the Burnley defence. He was good with his movement on and off the ball and had two long efforts saved by Tom Heaton. However, he still needs to work on his discipline as he was booked early in the game for a clumsy challenge.
Cesc Fabregas – 5/10
A needless yellow card for dissent in the first half turned into Chelsea’s misery when Fabregas was given his marching orders late in the 2nd half for a dangerous tackle. The Spaniard was involved in a lot of Chelsea build-ups and looked threatening at times. However, it all came to nought as his departure all but guaranteed a Burnley victory.
Willian – 7/10
The Brazilian endured a troubled evening through most of the game as he failed to break loose of the disciplined Burnley defence. However, he was the man for Chelsea’s mini-resurgence as it was his cross that Alvaro Morata converted for Chelsea’s first goal.
Michy Bathshuayi – 4/10
It could be said that the lack of playing time is hurting his career but the truth is that even when he is afforded an opportunity, Batshuayi has failed to make the desired impact. He was wasteful in possession, failed to create any real opportunity and had just one shot to show for in the 58 minutes that he spent on the pitch. We believe that had Chelsea not splashed the kind of cash that they did on him, he would have been gone by now.
Jeremie Boga – NA
The youngster was substituted in the 16th minute as Antonio Conte was forced to reorganise following Cahill’s red card making it a debut to forget for the 20-year old.
Substitutes
Andreas Christensen – 7/10
Christensen was amongst the better Chelsea players on the evening. The Danish defender was calm and composed with the ball at his feet and was rather solid defensively. While he was very unlucky to miss out on a goal, we expect Christensen to earn starts in the games to come after his defensive showing against Burnley.
Alvaro Morata – 7/10
The Spaniard, who came on as a substitute in the 59th minute for Batshuayi, made an instant impact as he scored via a diving header in the 69th minute. While he did cost Chelsea a goal when he played the Christensen shot that was already goal-bound from an offside position, he made amends with an assist for the Luiz goal. For us, he needs to start every game after Chelsea’s rather timid start to the season.
Charly Musonda – NA
Burnley
Tom Heaton – 7/10
It was solid display from the English shot-stopper as he managed to make 3 crucial saves to ensure a Burnley victory. There was very little that the 31-year old could have done to prevent the two Chelsea goals from going in.
Matthew Lowton – 7/10
Lowton was amongst the top performers for Burnley throughout the evening as not only did he keep the Chelsea attack at bay, he also managed to make positive impact going forward.
James Tarkowski – 8/10
The English defender was rock solid on the evening as he put in a strong defensive performance. The 24-year old was imperious in the air, winning 6 out of his 9 aerial duels while also ensuring that Chelsea were not able to breach the goal with a mix of tackles, blocks and clearances.
Ben Mee – 7/10
Tarkowski’s partner on the day, Mee too had a fruitful game as he played a crucial role in Burnley taking all three points from the Bridge. The Englishman was good in the air and was more often than not willing to put his body on the line for the cause of his side and would have pleased his manager with his efforts.
Stephen Ward – 7/10
It might have been only his 4th goal in a Burnley shirt but Stephen Ward’s strike proved to be pivotal in Burnley’s victory. Picking the ball on the left hand side of the pitch, the left-back cut inside to hammer the ball past Courtois to send the travelling Burnley fans into ecstasy. However, he did more than just score the goal as he put in a disciplined display at left-back and did not allow the Chelsea attackers any time and space on the ball.
Jack Cork – 7/10
The returning Jack Cork had an industrious yet fruitful debut for the Clarets. He was instrumental in Burnley dominating the game in the middle of the park as he kept a check on the likes of Kante and Willian while also helping the side’s attack as it was him who assisted Ward’s goal.
Jeff Hendrick – 7/10
It was yet another no-nonsense performance from the Irishman as he stood tall amongst his peers with his industrious display. He did not let Chelsea have any space and time on the ball and was very tidy with the ball at his feet.
Steven Defour – 8/10
Defour began his second season in the Premier League on a positive note as he was instrumental in his side’s victory. He controlled the tempo of the game very well and was always a threat going forward. He capped up the outing with a brilliant cross for Vokes’ second goal.
Robbie Brady – 7/10
Perhaps, his day could have been sweeter had his strike not come off the post. Brady created 3 goal scoring opportunities and always looked threatening with the ball at his feet. His performances will be critical to Burnley’s chances of staying up this season.
Johann Berg Gudmundson – 6/10
The Iceland winger might not have been as effective as the likes of Brady and Vokes but he had a steady outing as he was often seen helping his side, keeping the likes of Kante and Fabregas in check. His passing though was a big let down and he will need to improve on that if he is to remain in the long-term plans of his manager.
Sam Vokes – 9/10
It is an evening that Vokes will not forget for the rest of his life. The Welsh international had a goal disallowed early on in the game but made amends very soon as he scored a brace via a volley and a superb header to put Burnley in the driver’s seat. If there was a standout performer on day, it was Vokes.
Substitutes
Jonathan Walters – NA
Scott Arfield - NA
