Chelsea ‘got too comfortable’ as Foster’s Burnley held them to a draw
Chelsea have shot themselves in the foot on multiple occasions throughout the season and were simply not good enough defensively in their 2-2 Premier League draw to 10-man Burnley, attacker Cole Palmer said.
Palmer's two goals were cancelled out by strikes from Josh Cullen and Dara O'Shea as Chelsea dropped points despite having a man's advantage over relegation-threatened Burnley to remain 11th in the league standings.
Bafana Bafana star Lyle Foster, who made a return from injury recently. made his first start for Burnley in just under a month and played 70 minutes, providing an assist.
It was the fifth match in a row that Chelsea conceded two goals.
“The changing room is really down,” Palmer told Sky Sports on Saturday.
“When they went down to 10 men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It's got to improve from us as players.
What a strike by Josh Cullen ✨
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 30, 2024
10-man Burnley refuse to give up 🔥
📺 Stream #CHEBUR live: https://t.co/TesYUfo62x pic.twitter.com/80FGH5b6Vl
“We had many chances and then that time we defended sloppy. It's very disappointing. On a personal level it's good to score two, but if you don't get the three points they count for nothing.
“I think it's our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. It's poor, it can't happen. Especially when they go down to 10 men.”
Chelsea host sixth-placed Manchester United next in a league clash on Thursday.
Also on Saturday, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur won to boost their Champions League qualifying hopes while Manchester United had to settle for a point and Nottingham Forest drew to edge back out of the relegation zone in the Premier League on Saturday.
There was a scoring spree of 29 goals in dramatic action on Saturday, which topped any Premier League match day this season.
Moussa Diaby and Ezri Konsa netted in Villa's 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers to keep their side in fourth place with 59 points from 30 matches, three points ahead of Spurs.
The Premier League returns with a bang as all three title contenders are still to play in Matchweek 30 👀#PL
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 30, 2024
Tottenham came from behind to beat visitors Luton Town 2-1 and remain in fifth place, which could be enough for Champions League football next season, with a game in hand over Villa.
Sixth-placed United were fortunate to escape from struggling Brentford with a point after a wild finish in a 1-1 draw.
Villa's win against their Midlands rivals was no classic, but the first victory for manager Unai Emery over Wolves at the seventh attempt ended a two-game winless run in the league.
“We wanted to focus on our game and that is what we did. We got the three points and I got a goal myself, so happy days,” Konsa said. “It's a huge win, with Tottenham's result earlier, we knew we had to win.”
Son Heung-min's 86th minute strike earned Spurs all three points against Luton to keep the pressure on Villa.
Luton dropped back below Forest into the relegation zone as they were stung by South Korean Son's late winner.
Son Heung-min puts his bad luck behind him to grab the winner for Spurs ⚪🌟#AVLWOL is next from 19:30 on your World of Champions ⏭ pic.twitter.com/YnQIBmCxY4
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 30, 2024
Tahith Chong gave the visitors a surprise early lead at Spurs but Issa Kabore's own goal in the 51st levelled it up.
Tottenham captain Son then started and finished a flowing late move to bag his 160th goal for the club.
United substitute Mason Mount thought he had given the visitors an undeserved victory at Brentford when he slotted home his first goal for the Old Trafford team in the 96th minute.
But Kristoffer Ajer's 99th-minute equaliser salvaged a point for the Bees to dent United's Champions League qualifying hopes. The Old Trafford side are now 11 points adrift of Villa, albeit with a game in hand, and eight points behind Spurs.
The title race resumes on Sunday with leaders Arsenal at Manchester City and Liverpool hosting Brighton & Hove Albion.
At the bottom, battling Forest, whose four-point penalty during the international break had dropped them to 18th in the table, fell behind at home to Crystal Palace.
But Chris Wood rescued a point that lifted Forest to 17th place, level on 22 points with Luton after 30 games but with a superior goal difference.
Newcastle's win over West Ham United was more dramatic as they trailed 3-1 with 77 minutes on the clock but two goals from Harvey Barnes gave them a 4-3 victory.
Newcastle are eighth but now only a point behind seventh-placed West Ham with a game in hand.
Everton defender Seamus Coleman's stoppage-time own goal condemned his side to a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth. The Toffees are 16th, three points above the drop zone. Bournemouth are 13th.
Bottom club Sheffield United led 3-1 at home to Fulham but goals by Bobby Decordova-Reid and Rodrigo Muniz denied them a victory.
The home crowd was stunned in stoppage time when in-form Brazilian Muniz met Adama Traore's cross with a spectacular overhead volley.
Reuters