LONDON – Chelsea missed a chance to move up the Premier League table on Saturday, settling for a dramatic 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge. João Pedro struck early, and it looked like Chelsea would ride it out, but a second-half red card for Wesley Fofana changed the feel of the match. Burnley took advantage late, with Zian Flemming thumping in a header in the third minute of stoppage time. – Watch the Highlights Here
As a result, Chelsea let another home lead slip. Manager Liam Rosenior didn’t hide his frustration, saying his team had “set fire to points” in recent games. Burnley, still fighting to stay up, happily took a hard-earned point that keeps their survival hopes alive.
Match Overview: Fast Start, Costly Finish
Chelsea controlled long spells, yet they never found the second goal their play deserved. From the opening whistle, the tempo was high, and the breakthrough came almost straight away.
In the fourth minute, Moisés Caicedo slid a sharp through ball into Pedro Neto on the left. Neto then drilled a low cross into the box. João Pedro got his shot away, Martin Dubravka saved it, but the forward reacted quickly and forced the rebound over the line for 1-0.
After that, Chelsea kept the ball and kept pushing. Cole Palmer helped set the rhythm, and chances came and went. Burnley, stuck near the bottom half of the table, sat deep and defended with discipline. Still, they offered very little going forward before the break.
Everything shifted in the 72nd minute. Fofana picked up a second yellow card after a rash challenge, leaving Chelsea with 10 men. From there, the home side dropped deeper, and Burnley started to believe. In added time, James Ward-Prowse delivered a dangerous corner, and Flemming rose free to power a header past Robert Sánchez.
By full-time, boos rang out around Stamford Bridge, and the frustration was clear.
Key Match Highlights
- 4′ Goal, Chelsea 1-0 Burnley: João Pedro follows up from close range after Neto’s cross and Dubravka’s save.
- Chelsea on top early: The Blues create chances but can’t find a second, with Palmer and Enzo Fernández leading attacks.
- 72′ Red card, Wesley Fofana: A second yellow reduces Chelsea to 10 men and shifts momentum.
- Burnley grow into it late: They win set pieces and put Sánchez under pressure.
- 90+3′ Goal, Chelsea 1-1 Burnley: Flemming heads in Ward-Prowse’s corner for a last-gasp equalizer.
Chelsea showed quality in spells, but they lacked sharp finishing. Burnley, on the other hand, kept working and got their reward at the death.
Chelsea Team Table
Chelsea used a familiar shape, with plenty of attacking talent, but they couldn’t hold firm late on.
| Position | Player | Key Contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Robert Sánchez | Solid early, beaten late | Had little to do for long stretches |
| DEF | Wesley Fofana | Sent off (72′) | Second yellow proved costly |
| DEF | Levi Colwill | Calm defending | Stayed steady under pressure |
| MID | Moisés Caicedo | Assist | Set up the opener with a through ball |
| MID | Enzo Fernández | Creative outlet | Helped move play forward |
| MID | Cole Palmer | Main creator | Drove runs and picked passes |
| FWD | Pedro Neto | Assist | Provided the cross for the goal |
| FWD | João Pedro | Goal (4′) | Alert finish on the rebound |
Chelsea season note: João Pedro leads the scoring with 10 goals, but recent home draws have hurt their progress.
Burnley Team Table
Burnley came in as underdogs, yet they stayed organized and stepped up after the red card.
| Position | Player | Key Contribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Martin Dubravka | Early save | Kept Burnley close in the opening minutes |
| DEF | Bashir Humphreys | Strong defending | Handled pressure for long periods |
| MID | Josh Cullen | Worked hard | Fought for second balls |
| MID | James Ward-Prowse | Assist | Set up the equalizer with a corner |
| FWD | Zian Flemming | Goal (90+3′) | Won it in the air when it mattered most |
Burnley squad note: Flemming delivered a huge moment, and the team showed real fight despite their low position.
Post-Match Reaction and What It Means
Rosenior pointed to the missed chances and the late-game management, saying, “We dominated but lacked ruthlessness. We’ve set fire to four points in recent home games.” He also stressed the need to stay smarter once the team went down to 10 men.
For Burnley, the point inches them closer to safety, now eight points from the line. Meanwhile, Chelsea drops more points in the Premier League race and must regroup quickly with tough matches still to come.
This match came down to fine margins. Chelsea started fast but couldn’t finish it off, while Burnley kept pushing until the final whistle and left Stamford Bridge with a share of the points.
