Chelsea sent off two players, lost opening match of Premier League

Morata's brilliant performance could not help Chelsea escape defeat against Burnley with a score of 2-3 right at Stamford Bridge.

Gary Cahill's red card quickly caused Chelsea to fall apart in the first half. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Morata (69'), David Luiz (88') - Sam Vokes (24', 43'), Stephen Ward (39').

Chelsea playing at home against Burnley was an opportunity for coach Conte and his team to start their journey to defend the title with a victory. However, Chelsea received consecutive shocks in the first 45 minutes.

The opening act was captain Gary Cahill's brutal tackle on Steven Defour, which resulted in the referee issuing a straight red card. Having lost their experienced centre-back, Chelsea conceded a goal later on with Sam Vokes's shot turning his back. The Welshman's shot flew past David Luiz and into a dangerous corner, leaving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois helpless.

It seemed Chelsea could go into the second half with the only goal conceded, but just a few minutes into the first half, Burnley made them suffer more bitterness. Stephen Ward fired a cannonball from a tight angle to double the gap before Sam Vokes completed his double with a close-range header.

Burnley were sharp and cool in their ability to take advantage of opportunities. Photo: Reuters.

It was the first time in the Premier League era that Chelsea had trailed by three goals at half-time at Stamford Bridge. What was even more bizarre was that it was the opening game of the new season and the opponents were the team that had narrowly escaped relegation last season.

This forced Coach Conte to push up the squad right after the second half whistle. Burnley also proactively retreated to defend with a safe distance of three goals, which indirectly helped Chelsea control the game and continuously move the ball towards Burnley's goal. However, it was not until Morata appeared that the goal came to Chelsea.

Coach Conte surprised by leaving the club's record signing on the bench and using young player Jeremie Bonga to start alongside striker Michy Batshuayi. Morata's appearance in place of Batshuayi immediately showed its effectiveness as Chelsea's crosses had a clear destination. From a pass from Willian, Morata fooled the Burnley defense to escape and head the ball past goalkeeper Heaton.

The goal marked Morata's first goal since joining Chelsea, right in the opening match of the Premier League. This is a positive signal that Coach Conte needed in the context of Diego Costa becoming a thorn in Chelsea's side. Morata's brilliance helped Conte regain the necessary prestige when he was the one who convinced the board to spend 75 million dollars on him.

Morata's goal opens up many hopes for Chelsea. Photo: Reuters.

Morata had the ball in the back of the Burnley net again but the referee ruled it out for offside. However, the player continued to shine with a header for David Luiz to reduce the gap to one goal in the final minutes. Unfortunately, Cesc Fabregas's red card earlier left Chelsea with only nine men and could not find an equalizer.

Chelsea have lost both of their opening games of the new season, against Arsenal in the Community Shield and now Burnley. The common thread in both games has been sudden red cards, allowing Chelsea to score and build momentum for victory. Luck seems to have eluded Conte and his players recently.

Burnley could have had a more impressive end to the game if Robert Brady's free kick hadn't hit the post with Thibaut Courtois looking on. Sam Dyches' side had a great start to the Premier League, not only in terms of results but also in terms of pragmatic play and strong spirit. This will be a boost for Burnley in a season where they are still in the high-risk group for relegation.

According to VNE