:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66085052/1198848674.jpg.0.jpg)
Chelsea led comfortably at the half, 2-0, despite not playing all that well, then added a third early in the second half to propel us to an easy 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge today over struggling Burnley.
The Blues started brightly, but faded after the first 15-20 minutes. A marginal offside call, confirmed by VAR, kept scores level as Burnley worked an excellent set piece through McNeil, Mee, and Hendrick to nod into the Chelsea goal. But Mee moved a bit too early on the free kick. Chelsea then survived another set piece when Ross Barkley and César Azpilicueta had to clear off the line in quick succession from a corner.
By then, Chelsea had sauntered into the lead thanks Willian winning a penalty and Jorginho converting with usual aplomb.
LOL "Lowton pulls his foot out" crows Tony Gale. He didn't pull his knees out though, did he?
— Dávid Pásztor (@D_Peezy) January 11, 2020
That goal didn’t really change the quality of the football on display, but Chelsea’s second did — Abraham nodding in from a fantastic James cross, with the Burnley goalkeeper and center back getting in each other’s way to give Abraham a goal on a very much savable header.
Chelsea pushed for a third before half-time, then got the third immediately after, with Hudson-Odoi stealing in at the far post to score his first Premier League goal.
2002 - At 19y 65d, Callum Hudson-Odoi is the youngest player to score their first Premier League goal for Chelsea since Carlton Cole against Middlesbrough in April 2002 (18y 197d). Teens. #CHEBUR pic.twitter.com/pECPvwVNev
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 11, 2020
It was easy going for Chelsea after that, and we could’ve added several more — Abraham himself could/should’ve had a hat-trick, and Mount, too — but couldn’t find a fourth past the increasingly excellent Nick Pope (who more than made up for his early error).
Three goals. Three points. Carefree.
- Chelsea stay with the 4-2-3-1 from the last Premier League match 10 days ago, with three changes, two enforced: Christensen replacing Zouma, who’s now missed 2 in a row after starting 20(!) in a row, Barkley coming in for the injured Kanté and Hudson-Odoi doing the same for an injured Pulisic.
- Lampard uses no substitutions! That’s rare.
0 - @ChelseaFC have not made a substitution in a match for the first time since the Europa League final in May 2013. That ends a run of 366 games. #CFC #Chelsea
— Chad (@ChelseaChadder) January 11, 2020
- Chelsea’s first home goals and first home win in three Premier League games.
- Clean sheet, too!
- Abraham’s 13th goal of the campaign. Only Jamie Vardy (UPDATE: and Danny Ings and Marcus Rashford after today’s concurrent matches) have more.
- Chelsea maintain the 5-point advantage over Manchester United in 5th place. (United beat Norwich 4-0.)
- Next up: Newcastle United away next Saturday
- KTBFFH