Richard Jolly’s match reporthas landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company – goodnight!
Havingt seen another replay,I think Pulisic’s second might actually have been an own-goal from Ben Mee. Egil Ostenstadt had a hat-trick for Southampton against Manchester United taken off him by the Dubious Goals Panel in 1996 – 97; I’ve no idea how it works these days.
The thoughts of Christian Pulisic
“It’s unreal. What a day for me, obviously. I’ve even happier with the result, although I wish we’d kept a clean sheet. I honestly didn’t even think about it [getting the match ball from the referee], but thankfully my team-mates reminded me.
“Back in my youth days I scored a few headers – but professionally, no This is only the second one I can remember. I was just able to flick it on, and when I turned round I couldn’t believe it had gone in!
“The first few months were definitely hard. I had a few starts earlier in the season and then I fell out of the team. The last two weeks I’ve been able to help the team. I didn’t think it would happen right away – when you come into a big club like this, it takes time. I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. The team have been fantastic, they’ve given me so much help. ”
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“I’m not normally onefor praising promoting ex-players to managerial roles – rose-tinted selction glasses, etc. – but Lamps seems to be doing a brilliant job, ”says Bill Hargreaves. “To bring on youth like that, and move on players with amicable handshakes (a la Luiz) in order to remould the team in your shape, is pretty admirable, I think. And lovely attacking football, too. Lesson in intelligent leadership for other clubs, possibly? ”
Indeed. It was obvious from his first punditry shift that he could articulate the game better than most, and it seems his man-management is equally impressive. That transfer ban was the best thing to happen to Chelsea, although I suspect Lampard would have prioritised the younger players anyway. Their success will hopefully have a knock-on effect throughout the (Premier League)
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Full time: Burnley 2-4 Chelsea
Peep Peep! Another thrilling attacking performance from Chelsea gave a seventh consecutive win. Christian Pulisic scored a perfect hat-trick, the first of his career, to come of age as a (Chelsea) player, and Willian added a fourth bnefore the hour. A 4-0 scoreline would have been really harsh on Burnley. Two late goals gave a fairer reflection of an eventful match.Updated (at 2. (ED EDT
90 2 minBrady is booked for fouling Giroud. I’m not sure why he bothered, because Giroud was moving at glacial pace.
90 minLowton’s cross is headed behind by the stretching James. Vydra heads the corner over the bar. What a strange ending to the game this has been. That said, the scoreline is much fairer onBurnley.
GOAL! Burnley 2-4 Chelsea (McNeil 89)
It’s a funny old game. McNeil gives the scoreline a sheen of respectability with a 20 – yard shot that deflects off Tomori and wrongfoots Arrizabalaga.
Updated (at 2.) PM EDT
GOAL! Burnley 1-4 Chelsea (Rodriguez 86)
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84 minRobbie Brady replaces Jeff Hendrick. While that happens, we’re watching replays of the Hudson-Odoi booking. He was clearly pushed by Lowton – not enough for a penalty, but enough to affect his balance when he then tried to jump past Tarkowski.
80 minHudson-Odoi fizzes a low cross-shot just wide. He’s looked very sharp since coming on. The competition for places in Chelsea’s attacking midfield positions is exceedingly healthy.
78 minAn excellent point from Rob Hawthorne, the Sky Sports commentator: a few incidents today , including that non-penalty and the penalty that was given at Brighton, suggest the ‘clear and obvious’ bar has been lowered considerably since last weekend’s games. What this means, in practice, is more subjective decision-making, more perceived injustice and more conversations about VAR. Drink!
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NO PENALTY!Hudson-Odoi is booked for diving. Frank Lampard has a wry smile on his face. My feeling is that it wasn’t a penalty, because Tarkowski pulled his leg out of the way, but nor was it a dive – Hudson-Odoi went down because he tried to jump between two defenders and lost his balance.
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76 min: PENALTY TO CHELSEA!Hudson-Odoi plays a nice one-two with Mount and goes down after a challenge from Tarkowski. This might be overturned by VAR.
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(minHudson-Odoi is fouled just outside the area by Tarkowski. He’d lost the ball but Michael Oliver gave the free-kick. It’s a fair way to the left of center, but I think Mount will go for goal …
(min) Hudson-Odoi’s 20 – yard curler is comfortably held by Pope as he falls to his left.
(minWillian, who has swapped wings with Pulisic, wins a corner on the break. That’s his last touch of the game; he is replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi. It’s been another excellent performance from Willian, who has been revitalized under Frank Lampard.
(min) **************** (For 55 minutes this was extremely hard work for (Chelsea) , but now they have the full strut on. They could easily score another couple.
(min) Tammy Abraham is replaced by Olivier Giroud.
68 minWillian’s whipped shot from the edge of the area is blocked by Mee on the six-yard line. Then Pulisic’s delicious chipped cross beats Pope and is headed behind by Lowton.
(minPieters is booked for a lunge on James.
(minLife moves pretty fast in thePremier League, but at the moment Leicester and Chelsea look comfortably the best of the rest. Chelsea have been a revelation, not least because they’ve been without their best player for much of the season.
(minRodriguez is booked for a foul on Kovacic.
64 minSuperb defending from the substitute James, who blocks goalbound shoots from Westwood and McNeil in the space of two seconds.
64 minA ‘perfect’ hat-trick from Pulisic no less – left foot, right foot, header, ”says Callum Macauley. “Not bad at all.”
63 min (A) Chelseasubstitution: Reece James replaces Marcos Alonso. Azpilicueta will move to left-back. And Burnley bring on Matej Vydra for poor Ashley Barnes, who has had a beast.
(min) Tomori keeps Chelsea’s sheet clean with an immense recovery tackle on Rodriguez, who was through on goal and in the act of shooting when Tomori appeared from nowhere to block.
61 min(Chelsea) ************ (scored) away goals in 19 league games last season. This year they have 16 in five.
59 minThe scoreline is seriously harsh on Burnley. But this is what Chelsea can do when they have space to break into. They have scored 16 away goals in thePremier Leaguethis season, more than any other team.
William has made it 4-0 on the break.Kovacic played a penetrative pass into Abraham, who turned and eased a simple pass towards Willian in the inside-right channel. He ran at Pieters, moved the ball to the right and drove a crisp low shot into the far corner.
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What a story! Pulisic, recalled to the side tonight, has scored all three.The goal came when Mount’s left-wing corner was headed back out to him. He curled a beautiful, dipping ball towards the near post, where Pulisic got in front of Rodriguez to score with a very clever header. He was moving away from goal so allowed the ball to deflect off the side of his head, from where it drifted into the far corner. There was doubtless a bit of luck involved as well, but I’m pretty sure he intended that. Anyway, who gives a stuff: he’s scored a hat-trick!
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GOAL! Burnley 0-3 Chelsea (Pulisic 56)
Christian Pulisic gets his hat-trick!
(min) A smart snapshot from Rodriguez is well held by Arrizabalaga. Burnley have made enough openings in this match forChelseato be wary, even at 2-0.
(min) Cork flips a nice pass over the defense to Barnes, who mistimes an attempted volley on the turn. It sliced off the outside of his boot.
47 minPieters’ cross from the byline is shanked by Zouma into the face of Arrizabalaga and behind for a corner. I’m not sure whether Zouma’s shank would have gone into the net or wide of the far post; either way, it wasn’t the most Baresian piece of defending.
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Half time: Burnley 0-2 Chelsea
Peep Peep!Chelseaare well on course for a seventh consecutive win. The scoreline is harsh on Burnley in terms of the run of play, but they made egregious mistakes for both Christian Pulisic’s goals. His selection, ahead of Callum Hudson-Odoi, was another inspired move from Frank Lampard.
AnotherBurnleyerror, another goal.Tarkowski played a poor pass into midfield – he won’t be doing that again – that was intercepted by Willian. His touch diverted the ball to Pulisic in the center circle and he went straight for goal. He reached the edge of the area, made an angled run away from a couple of defenders and drove a low shot that took a big deflection off Mee and sneaked in at the near post.
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43 minWillian’s ambitious volley, from Pulisic’s crossfield pass, is comfortably saved by Pope.Chelseaare having a fine spell.
42 minChelsea move the ball really nicely to get Mount in behind the defense on the right, but his cross is intercepted by Westwood.
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