So the Premier League has finally begun and whilst most teams have failed to impress during their opening game, Chelsea opened their account with much promise against newly promoted Burnley.
Chelsea were slower out of the blocks then expected and found themselves a goal down to a wonderful Scott Arfield strike after some sloppy Chelsea defending.
The Clarets lead was short-lived as Chelsea instantly turned of the style and a cool finish from Diego Costa levelled the game.
From then on, Chelsea had it all their own way (despite being rejected a perfectly legitimate penalty) Chelsea’s second goal was forthcoming and it was a thing of beauty…. It started with a mazy run by Eden Hazard and ended up in the back of the net off the boot of André Schürrle, who was played in by Cesc Fàbregass’ sublime pass.
It’s only the first game, but that goal will certainly be one of the highlights of the season.
With Chelsea 2-1 up and cruising, the Blues would surely add to their tally. And they did, a simple tap in by Branislav Ivanović effectively ended the contest.
The second half was all about keeping the ball, tiring the opposition and not allowing Burnley a sniff. Chelsea did that to great effect and ran out comfortable winners.
What was so impressive about this victory was that when Chelsea needed to up the anti. When they looked like they were in for a tough night, they were able to instantly move up another level and blow the opposition away.
Burnley didn’t particularly do anything wrong, they defended in numbers and they defended well. This wasn’t a team that crumbled. In the end, they were just outclassed by the brilliance of this new-look Chelsea side.
Cesc Fàbregas was awarded the man of the match, but there were two other lethal weapons on the pitch.
Schürrle was my outstanding player, his ability to make those runs beyond defences made Chelsea extremely difficult to defend against. All night, the German was pulling the strings of the Burnley defence, creating space for Hazard and options for Fàbregas.
These three need to start every game as they can hurt you in different ways. Fàbregas can hurt you with his devastating passing, Hazard with his dazzling runs and finally Schürrle with his deadly movement.
If you remove one of these players, you are essentially removing your formidable weapon as these players rely on each other. Hazard needs Schürrle to create the space, which in turn needs Fàbregas to play those balls in behind.
If Chelsea can keep these players fit and in form, then I believe the title is Chelsea’s for the taking. They are a defence’s worst nightmare as all their attackers hurt you, but in different ways.
When they tick, they are impossible to defend against.