wicked.football

Chelsea defender Reece James marked his return to the starting eleven with a goal and assist as the Blues ran riot against Burnley at Turf Moor, winning 4-0.

James, who came off the bench in the recent Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool, opened the scoring shortly after the break. He went on to set up Kai Havertz for the German’s second goal, which capped off a blistering 10 minutes from Thomas Tuchel’s side.

American forward Christian Pulisic joined them on the scoresheet as Chelsea made it 15 wins from 26 Premier League outings.

The Blues were looking for a more convincing performance after only just getting past Luton Town in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Burnley, meanwhile, were aiming to continue their charge away from the drop zone by making it three wins from their last five league games.

Chelsea were buoyed by the return of right-back James, who was back in the team after recovering from a hamstring injury. Havertz also came into the starting lineup, replacing Romelu Lukaku – with Tuchel’s selection proven right.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche made two changes, with Nathan Collins replacing Ben Mee and Jay Rodriguez starting in place of Maxwel Cornet.

The worst managerial starts in recent years in English football

The home side started brightly and almost took the lead with 17 minutes gone. Aaron Lennon got away from Saul out wide before crossing for Wout Weghorst. The striker directed a volley towards goal which was kept out by a last-ditch Thiago Silva clearance.

An even better chance for the Clarets came on the half-hour mark. A looping Ashley Westwood cross, which was miss-hit, saw Rodriguez challenge Edouard Mendy. The keeper failed to clear, giving Dwight McNeil a great opportunity to open the scoring. But the left midfielder sent his effort over the bar from inside the box.

Chelsea make Burnley pay

Burnley had failed to capitalise on their chances in the first half and were made to pay at the start of the second. Trevoh Chalobah found James out wide, and the Englishman twisted and turned before firing into the far corner with 47 minutes on the clock.

And Havertz made it 2-0 soon afterwards. Pulisic cut back onto his left foot before sending a cross to the far post, with Havertz pulling off his marker to head home.

The game was firmly taken out of Burnley’s reach when Havertz secured his brace moments later. James was once again involved, putting the ball into a dangerous area. That allowed Havertz to bundle over the line amid a shoddy few minutes for Dyche’s men.

Three goals in seven minutes.

? 0-3 [59’] #BurChe pic.twitter.com/L3e087dqLE

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 5, 2022

Chelsea were not finished there though and were given a gift of a goal in the 69th minute. Saul crossed into the box and James Tarkowski lunged at it, allowing Pulisic to smash home from close range.

The West London outfit dominated proceedings from then on, barely giving Burnley a sniff. The result leaves Chelsea seven points behind second-placed Liverpool, ahead of their clash against West Ham. Burnley, meanwhile, are sat in 18th place and are a point from safety.

READ MORE: West Ham wade into Chelsea striker battle, as major disparity emerges over valuation

The post Chelsea star back with a bang, as team-mate hits brace in comfortable win over Burnley appeared first on TEAMtalk.