Highlights
HAZARD WARNING
Chelsea 4 Burnley 0: Watch highlights: Ross Barkley stars with goal and assist as Blues sparkle despite Eden Hazard’s absence
Midfielder Barkley may finally fulfil his potential at Stamford Bridge under Maurizio Sarri
MAURIZIO SARRI’S men delivered a Hazard warning to the rest of their title rivals.
For they not only proved that they can not live without iconic playmaker Eden but prosper as well.
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There were suggestions before kick off that the absence of the brilliant Belgium though a nagging back ailment might hurt Chelsea.
He is, after all, considered to be the heartbeat of the side quite apart from being the current Prem top scorer with seven goal.
And this was the first time this season that Hazard had not started a league game.
Not a bit of it.
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Alvaro Morata scored his fourth goal of the season for Chelsea
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Certainly not against the Clarets.
And certainly not on the evidence of the opener that was the ultimate in Sarriball.
Sean Dyche’s side will have felt quite secure in the 22nd minute when Jorginho collected the ball on the edge of his box.
He flicked to Pedro who moved the ball on again to N’Golo Kante and he found Ross Barkley who zipped forward before releasing the perfect through – pass for Alvaro Morata.
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The Spanish striker simply could not miss as he beat the advancing Joe Hart with a low finish to the ex – England goalkeeper’s left.
The move was as dynamic as it was delicious and Burnley did not know what had hit them.
In fact, the home side could easily have been behind 60 seconds earlier.
Morata laid a superb pass into the path of Willian who eased his low curler beyond Hart but saw his shot cannon to safety of the inside of the far post.
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Even the fact that Chelsea lost Pedro – the man boss Sarri brought in to replace Hazard – made little difference to the impressive flow of the side.
That flow emanated from a midfield three of Kante, Barkley and Jorgino and every time they got involved Burnley looked in danger.
Barkley, especially was impressive not only for his accurate passing but his defensive awareness.
The former golden boy of Goodison now looks like he has grown up tactically.
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Then again any player would enjoy the luxury of working alongside the metronomic Jorginho and that king of cool, Kante.
But it is as an attacking presence that he is most important to his side for.
He arrived at Turf Moor looking to become the first Englishman to score in three successive Prem games since a certain Frank Lampard in 2013.
And score three in three he duly delivered with the kind of finish that Lamps himself would have been proud of.
He accepted a 57th minute pass from Kante then sprinted forward and as the Clarets rear guard obligingly backed off he let fly with a low left footer left and too low for Hart to get to.
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Soon after came Chelsea’s third as the moved above Manchester City into second place and two behind leaders Liverpool.
Once again the movement of Sarri’s players, this time in the form of Willian, and the delivery from Jorginho, was too much for Burnley to handle.
The Brazilian made his trademark move from the left edge of the box onto his right foot and this time made no mistake.
Yet Willian had in the first half let himself down and not because he sent his earlier chance against the post.
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His dive under challenge from Matthew Lowton was shameful and he was rightly carded by referee Craig Pawson.
The official dished out the same treatment to Morata.
He feigned that Lowton had connected with him as the Burnley defender remonstrated over the way he went down after Kames Tarkowski tackled him.
They were ugly, needless moments but even they could not despoil a Chelsea performance that was often a thing of beauty.
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