Chelsea Beat Burnley 2-0 to Close Gap on Arsenal

Chelsea tightened their Premier League title push with a solid 2-0 victory over struggling Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Pedro Neto opened the scoring just before half-time, and Enzo Fernández sealed the win late on to move Enzo Maresca’s side within three points of league leaders Arsenal, who face Tottenham on Sunday.

The result lifts Chelsea into second place and extends their impressive run to eight wins in their last 10 matches across all competitions. It also marks Maresca’s 50th Premier League match in charge.

With crucial home games against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday and Arsenal in the league on November 30, the win provided the perfect momentum for the Blues heading into a decisive week.

Chelsea could drop back to third place if Manchester City avoid defeat against Newcastle later on Saturday, but their gritty performance in freezing Lancashire further strengthened their title credentials.

“It’s tough after the international break — 12:30 kick-off, Burnley away — it’s always a hard game,” Maresca said. “But the way we competed, I’m very happy. To come here and not concede is very difficult. It was important to keep the momentum from before the break.”

Burnley Struggle Continues

Burnley’s woes deepened as the defeat leaves them with five losses in their last seven league outings.

Chelsea were without Cole Palmer, who fractured his toe after stubbing it on a door, just as he was preparing to return from a two-month groin injury. Midfielder Moisés Caicedo was benched due to fatigue after returning late from international duty.

A mix-up early in the match between goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and Fernández — when Sánchez accidentally kicked the ball into the midfielder’s head — briefly halted play for a concussion check, but Fernández later recovered and finished the match strongly.

How the Match Unfolded

Chelsea gradually took control after a shaky start. Neto was lively, with early efforts testing the Burnley defence before ultimately delivering the breakthrough.

In the 37th minute, Marc Cucurella masterfully controlled a high ball in the Burnley box and played it back to Jamie Gittens, whose cross picked out Neto for a brilliant diving header into the far corner — his fourth goal of the season.

Chelsea pushed for more, with Neto hitting the post and Delap forcing Martin Dubravka into a strong save. Burnley’s best chance fell to Zian Flemming, who blazed over from inside the box.

The Blues wrapped up the points in the 88th minute when Fernández finished off a sweeping team move, slotting home Marc Guiu’s pass from close range.

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