Zian Flemming, centre, celebrates scoring a late equaliser at Chelsea
Zian Flemming, centre, celebrates scoring a late equaliser at Chelsea
Zian Flemming’s stoppage-time header sealed a point for Burnley at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
João Pedro’s early first-half goal put Chelsea in the ascendancy, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men 20 minutes from time when Wesley Fofana was shown a second yellow card and subsequent red.
Burnley’s spirited showing was rewarded in second-half stoppage-time, when Flemming rose tallest to head home an equaliser for Scott Parker’s side.
On a mild afternoon in West London, Burnley fell behind inside four minutes - Pedro Neto seized upon a sublime Moises Caicedo through ball and crossed for Pedro, whose scuffed effort beat the exposed Martin Dúbravka.
Despite that early goal, Parker’s side responded positively. Hannibal curled a shot straight at Robert Sanchez, before Lesley Ugochukwu slammed a volley high and wide from a Clarets corner.
At the other end, Chelsea continued to threaten, with Maxime Estève produced two huge blocks in a matter of moments to keep the visitors at bay.
As the half edged towards its conclusion, Cole Palmer tested Dubravka after catching Kyle Walker out on the halfway line, before Hannibal - a menace throughout the half - fired a half-volley straight at Sanchez.
Burnley were trailing, but they were by no means out of it at the break.
Parker made a change at the interval, with Walker withdrawn at the expense of Lucas Pires.
The half started quite tentatively, with both sides enjoying a fair share of territory and possession, without creating any chances of note.
Parker went to his bench again shortly before the hour mark, with James Ward-Prowse entering the fray for his third outing in a Burnley shirt.
Clear-cut chances continued to remain at a premium, with Pedro heading over from a Chelsea set-piece midway through the half, before the hosts were reduced to 10 men on 72 minutes, when Fofana saw red for a challenge on Ward-Prowse, picking up his second yellow card of the afternoon.
Parker responded by throwing on Jacob Bruun Larsen, Loum Tchaouna and Ashley Barnes late on, as Burnley - by now enjoying the lion’s share of possession - pushed for an equaliser.
Barnes headed narrowly over from a Ward-Prowse free-kick, before the fourth official showed six minutes of added time.
Burnley continued to ask questions in the time that remained, and they were rewarded on 93 minutes, to spark incredible scenes on the pitch and in the stands.
Ward-Prowse, inevitably, played provider, sending a textbook corner into the box, and Flemming did the rest, towering an unstoppable header into the back of the net.
Remarkably, there was still time for one final chance for the visitors, when Bruun Larsen met another expert Ward-Prowse delivery, but his header flew over.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Neto (Sarr 87), Fernandez, Palmer (Adarabiayo 74), Santos, Pedro (Delap 80), Chalobah, James (Acheampong 87), Caicedo, Gusto (Hato 80), Fofana. Subs not used: Slonina, Guiu, Lavia, Garnacho.
Clarets: Dúbravka, Walker (Pires 46), Worrall, Estève, Ugochukwu (Ward-Prowse 57), Edwards, Anthony (Barnes 84), Humphreys (Tchaouna 84), Flemming, Hannibal, Laurent (Bruun Larsen 78). Subs not used: Weiss, Hartman, Florentino, Tchaouna, Ekdal.
Referee: Lewis Smith.
Attendance: 39,603.