Enzo Maresca will have been delighted that his Chelsea side picked up all three points without some key players named in the starting side.
After it was learned that Cole Palmer had suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, there will have been some Chelsea fans worried when there was more rotation on display.
Moises Caicedo also started on the bench. He only returned to Chelsea training on Friday, and is clearly being protected for games against Barcelona and Arsenal.
Who was your player of the match vs Burnley?
The Blues closed the gap to league leaders Arsenal to just three points ahead of their grudge clash at Stamford Bridge next week, with Pedro Neto’s header and Enzo Fernandez’s late strike the difference
Burnley v Chelsea - Premier League
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Joe Cole surprised at Enzo Maresca’s decision to sub on Benoit Badiashile for Reece James
Chelsea had not been brilliant in the first half, and Maresca decided to make a half-time substitution, bringing on Benoit Badiashile for Reece James.
With the two players not playing the same position, there were some eyebrows raised at the decision.
Joe Cole has theorised that the decision was made to protect the club captain for the huge Champions League game against Barcelona, however did describe the substitution as ‘interesting’.
He told TNT Sports: “That’s an interesting one [subbing on Badiashile]. I don’t know if that’s a tactical one, with Barcelona in mind. I don’t think Chelsea will want to change anything tactically, I just think in the middle of the park they need to be a little better. Burnley were finding the space where Caicedo would usually be.”
Burnley v Chelsea - Premier League
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Badiashile impresses on return from injury
Badiashile hadn’t featured since early October against Liverpool, and was making just his third league appearance of the season.
However, the fact that he can bring a left-footed option to the heart of defence is crucial for Chelsea, who will likely not see Levi Colwill in action at all this season.
There was a far better balance at the back when the Frenchman was brought into the fray, and there will be hopes that he can enjoy a run of fitness and regular games at a crucial time of the season for the Blues.