Nine-man Chelsea downed by Burnley
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ByEurosport
Updated 12/08/2017 at 19:06 GMT
Premier League, Stamford Bridge - Chelsea 2 (Morata 69, Luiz, 88) Burnley 3 (Vokes 24', 43, Ward 39)
Chelsea's Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta look dejected after Burnley's Sam Vokes scores their third goal
Image credit: Reuters
Premier League champions Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as new captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas saw red.
Gary Cahill was sent off early in the match for ploughing through Steven Defour. The poor start was compounded by Sam Vokes bookending an excellent Stephen Ward strike with two of his own.
Chelsea had started with Jeremie Boga in attack, and a collection of youngsters on the bench, as Antonio Conte perhaps made a point about his need for new signings.
In the second half, Alvaro Morata grabbed a goal on his debut, glancing a header past Tom Heaton.
Chelsea ratcheted up the pressure in the closing stages, then Cesc Fabregas became the second player sent off for the home side with a late tackle on Jack Cork, but David Luiz's late goal wasn't enough.
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Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea, 2017)
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
Is Gary Cahill the right defender to be captain for Chelsea? Cahill is no troublemaker, but nor is he an impressive thinker in interviews. He seems nice enough, but given Cesar Azpilicueta's tactical versatility and consistency, it might have made more sense to give him the armband rather than the gaffe-prone Englishman.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Sam Vokes (Burnley): He's not known as a goalscoring forward at this level, but his instincts and reactions gave his side a comfortable cushion in the first half. His ability to lead the line and create confusion in a vulnerable Chelsea defence gave Burnley their way in after Cahill's red card.
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7 Burnley's Sam Vokes celebrates with teammates after scoring their third goal
Image credit: Reuters
PLAYER RATINGS
Chelsea: Courtois 6, Rudiger 6, Luiz 6, Cahill 5, Azpilicueta 6, Kante 6, Fabregas 5, Alonso 7, Willian 6, Batshuayi 5, Boga 6. Subs: Christensen 6, Musonda 6, Morata 7.
Burnley: Heaton 8, Lowton 7, Tarkowski 7, Mee 6, Ward 8, Gudmundsson 7, Cork 6, Hendrick 6, Defour 6, Brady 6, Vokes 7. Subs: Arfield 6, Walters 6.
KEY EVENTS
14' - RED CARD! Cahill is sent off. Cahill brought the ball out from the back, and as the ball ran away from him he went through Defour with a poor challenge.
24' - GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Burnley. Vokes scores - A cross is whipped in from the right by Lowton, and Vokes reaches behind himself to hook a shot towards goal, that's scuffed low, into the far corner and past Courtois.
39' - GOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Burnley. Ward scores - The full-back plays a neat one-two and from the inside left, he slams in a shot past Courtois.
43' - GOAL! Chelsea 0-3 Burnley. Vokes scores - A deep cross to the back post finds Vokes, unmarked, and he nods it into the back post. A simple goal.
69' - GOAL! Chelsea 1-3 Burnley. Morata scores - Luiz makes space to whip in a dangerous cross into the six yard box and Morata is alert, sprinting towards it to send a diving header past Heaton.
82' - RED CARD! Fabregas is off, for a second yellow card. The Chelsea man is refusing to leave the pitch. It was a late tackle on Cork with his studs up.
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Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas reacts after receiving a second booking resulting in being sent off
Image credit: Reuters
88' - GOAL! Chelsea 2-3 Burnley. Luiz scores - A long ball forward from Azpilicueta, Morata knocks it on for Luiz into the box, and he lashes it past Heaton.
KEY STATS
- Chelsea are only the second reigning Premier League champions to lose the opening game of the following campaign (also Leicester last season).
- Burnley registered their first ever opening day victory in the Premier League, after losing each of the previous three.
- Chelsea are the first reigning Premier League champions to concede three goals in the opening game of the next season.
- Chelsea picked up their first red card in the Premier League in 41 games, since John Terry was dismissed against Sunderland (May 2016).
- Chelsea are the first side to pick up two red cards on the opening day of a Premier League season.
- The Blues had two players sent off in a game for the seventh time in the Premier League and the first since March 2014 (v Aston Villa).
- Sam Vokes has netted seven goals in his last six Premier League games, after managing just five in his previous 58.
- Vokes is the first player to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances for the Clarets.
- Alvaro Morata is the 21st player to score on his Chelsea Premier League debut, and the first since Alexandre Pato in April 2016 (v Aston Villa).
- This is the first time that the reigning champions have suffered a defeat on MD1 in successive top-flight seasons since 1968 (Man Utd 1967/68 & Man City 1968/69).
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