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Blues turn it on at Burnley

Blues turn it on at Burnley

Bridget and Stamford were delighted, and relieved, by Chelsea’s tricky away win at Burnley on an unfamiliar Thursday night of football at Turf Moor; the 2-1 victory keeping up the pressure on Spurs, who are showing signs of stuttering as the final matches of the season approach. The Blues surprised everyone by playing a front

Bridget and Stamford were delighted, and relieved, by Chelsea’s tricky away win at Burnley on an unfamiliar Thursday night of football at Turf Moor; the 2-1 victory keeping up the pressure on Spurs, who are showing signs of stuttering as the final matches of the season approach.

The Blues surprised everyone by playing a front pair of Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, with Tony Conte’s unexpected tactic proving a masterstroke… even if Morata still struggled at times, missed a golden one-on-one chance that you just knew an in-form player such as Mo Salah would have buried, and showed his frustration at being subbed for Eden Hazard by hurling his boots at the ground.

It was an own goal from Kevin Long in the first half which set Chelsea on their way, the ball comically rebounding off keeper Nick Pope after man-of-the-match Victor Moses had fired in a cross from the right. However, Ashley Barnes deflected Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s wayward shot into the net to equalise for Burnley.

Moses’ right-foot shot into the bottom corner settled the game, although Sean Dyche’s Burnley remain seventh and on course for the Europa League, with an eight-point lead over Leicester City in eighth.

It was the first time Chelsea had fielded a two-man attack for seven years, and it seemed to sap the resolve of Burnley.

Overall it ended as a masterful defensive display, however, with Burnley limited to just two shots on target.

Chelsea last used a conventional front two in a Premier League fixture in August 2011, when Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba were paired in a 3-1 victory over Norwich. Conte was delighted by the outcome. “They showed a great link and a great combination and at the same time they worked very hard for the team,” he said.

Next up, Wembley and the FA Cup semi against the Saints on Sunday afternoon.

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