Burnley vs Chelsea. Premier League.
Turf MoorAttendance21,264.
Friday 20 April 2018 07:55, UK
Chelsea remain in the hunt for Champions League qualification after ending Burnley's winning streak with a 2-1 victory at Turf Moor on Thursday.
Victor Moses struck a 69th-minute winner to move Antonio Conte's side to within five points of fourth-placed Tottenham with four games to play and the result will build confidence ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.
Kevin Long's unfortunate own goal (20) had given Chelsea a first-half lead, which was cancelled out by Ashley Barnes' fortuitous strike (64), but Burnley's run of five successive victories would ultimately be ended by last season's champions.
Sean Dyche's side remain in seventh place as they continue to fight for a Europa League spot, but are now two points behind Arsenal having played a game more.
Chelsea opened the scoring in unlikely fashion in the 20th minute when Victor Moses crossed from the right and Pope failed to punch the ball away, instead palming the ball onto the knee and then hand of his own defender Long and seeing it rebound into the net.
The goalkeeper was at fault for the goal, but twice denied the wasteful Alvaro Morata in the first half, clearing an early shot across goal with his legs before rushing off his line to stop the striker getting a shot away.
Morata, who started in a front two alongside Olivier Giroud, was guilty of a glaring miss 10 minutes after half-time when he was played clean through by N'Golo Kante, but after taking two touches to set himself steered the ball narrowly wide of the post.
And Chelsea were even more frustrated in the 64th minute when Burnley equalised in fortunate circumstances. Johann Berg Gudmundsson struck a low shot from 20 yards which was heading wide, but it took a fierce deflection off Barnes, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois and finding its way into the far corner.
But the away side restored their lead five minutes later when Emerson's left-wing cross found Moses unmarked eight yards from goal and he drilled a low shot past Pope at his near post.
Eden Hazard emerged from the bench for the final 20 minutes, but the victory was rarely under threat in the closing stages and Conte still has a top-four finish - as well as FA Cup glory - in his sights this season.
Sean Dyche: "I'm really pleased with our growing mentality. It's not easy to take the game on when you're 1-0 down at half-time to Chelsea. I thought we did, we really took the game on. So there are certainly no disappointments, we were playing a top side and we are getting closer."
Antonio Conte: "I'm very pleased with performance of our strikers, with and without the ball. With the ball they showed great links and combinations. I'm very pleased with Morata and Giroud, in the future they deserve the chance to play with two strikers."
Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe was full of praise for the Chelsea match-winner, saying: "It has to be Victor Moses. He's got dangerous crosses in, he's scored, he's worked hard defensively and he's done everything you need from a wing-back. He's a player perfect for that position."
Next up for Chelsea is an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Southampton on Sunday, before they resume their Premier League campaign at Swansea on the following Saturday evening. Burnley travel to Stoke on Sunday afternoon as they continue their push for European football.
