Sam Vokes scored twice as Burnley stunned Premier League champions Chelsea with a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
Chelsea, who had Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas sent off, trailed 3-0 at the interval, and despite finding a route back into the match in the second period, Burnley held on for all three points.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
2.01pmAfternoon all! Sports Mole's live Premier League coverage for the 2017-18 campaign continues from Stamford Bridge as the champions Chelsea welcome Sean Dyche's Burnley. The home side will be looking to make the perfect start to their Premier League title defence against a Burnley team that could be in for a long, tough season. Stay tuned for minute-by-minute coverage of events!
2.04pmChelsea recorded a 3-0 victory when the two teams met at Stamford Bridge in the corresponding league match last season. That said, the points were shared in a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor back in February. Worryingly for Burnley, the Clarets have not beaten Chelsea in the league since April 1983, with that 3-0 success occurring in their Division Two fixture. Their six Premier League meetings have brought four Chelsea wins and two draws. The statistics are not great for Burnley ahead of this match.
2.07pmRight, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from Stamford Bridge. Are there any new faces on display this afternoon? Premier League debuts for Alvaro Morata and Antonio Rudiger? Does summer signing Jonathan Walters start for Burnley? Let's find out...
2.10pmTEAMS!
CHELSEA: Courtois; Rudiger, Luiz, Cahill; Azpilicueta, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Boga
BURNLEY: Heaton; Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward; Gudmundsson, Cork, Hendrick, Defour, Brady; Vokes
2.13pmThe big team news from the Chelsea camp is that there is a first-team debut for Ivory Coast attacker Jeremie Boga, who spent last season on loan at Granada. The 20-year-old is handed a start in the final third alongside Willian and Michy Batshuayi, with Alvaro Morata only on the bench. There is a Premier League debut for Antonio Rudiger, however, as the German starts in the back three.
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2.16pmAs for Burnley, summer signings Charlie Taylor and Jonathan Walters are both on the bench as Stephen Ward is picked at left-back and Sam Vokes leads the line. Jack Cork will make his Premier League debut for Burnley alongside Jeff Hendrick and Stephen Defour in the middle of the park, while James Tarkowski starts at centre-back alongside Ben Mee. It is a 4-5-1 system for the visitors here.
2.19pmSo there we have it. The two teams are in, and we are now just about 40 minutes from kickoff on this mild afternoon in London. I shall speak about Burnley a little bit later, but let's start with the champions Chelsea. A wonderful 2016-17 season saw the Blues finish top of the Premier League on 93 points – seven points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who stumbled late on.
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2.22pmChelsea won 30, drew three and lost five of their 38 Premier League matches last season, scoring 85 goals and conceding just 33 in a brilliant campaign. There is no question that the London club deserved to land the title last season, but they will return to Champions League action this term, and it remains to be seen whether head coach Antonio Conte can balance the two competitions.
2.25pmAlvaro Morata, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Willy Caballero have all arrived at Stamford Bridge this summer, while the likes of Nemanja Matic, Nathan Ake and Asmir Begovic have departed. Diego Costa is still with the club, but it seems extremely unlikely that the Spain international will wear a Chelsea shirt again after falling out with head coach Conte.
2.28pmA short pre-season saw Chelsea lose to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, while the Blues missed the chance to land the Community Shield last weekend after losing on penalties to Arsenal after a 1-1 draw. Victor Moses's early second-half goal saw Chelsea lead, but Sead Kolasinac levelled late on, before the Gunners recorded a 4-1 victory in the new 'ABBA' penalty shootout.
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2.32pmQuestions have been asked of this Chelsea squad entering the new season, although it is thought that Conte will bring in at least one more new player before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. For now, the Blues will be looking to start the new Premier League campaign with all three points, especially considering the run of matches to come over the next couple of weeks.
2.35pmIndeed, Chelsea's next Premier League match is away to Tottenham next Sunday, before hosting Everton, travelling to Leicester City and hosting Arsenal in their next three. The Blues will then travel to Stoke City on September 23, before ending the month with a home game against Manchester City. It is a very, very tough first six weeks for the Premier League champions.
2.38pm
.@cesc4official: 'We feel ready, we want to play well in this game and as players, staff and fans we must all stick together.' #CHEBUR pic.twitter.com/L8RBepOcWQ
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 12, 2017
2.42pmAs for Burnley, Dyche's team finished 16th in the Premier League table last season after collecting 40 points from 38 matches. They finished level on points with 17th-place Watford, but six points clear of 18th-place Hull City as the Clarets assured that they would play top-flight football once again.
2.45pmBurnley opened their pre-season with a 4-0 win over Shamrock Rovers on July 14, before beating Alfreton Town and Preston North End in quick succession. The month ended with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, before Dyche's side recorded a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo on July 1. Burnley have had that winning feeling in pre-season, but this is where the serious stuff begins.
2.48pmCharlie Taylor, Phil Bardsley, Jonathan Walters and Jack Cork have all arrived at Turf Moor this summer, while Michael Keane and Andre Gray have joined Everton and Watford respectively for a combined £44m. Burnley's summer transfer business is expected to go right to the wire, and you do get the feeling that Dyche needs to boost his squad in the final weeks of the window.
2.52pm
TEAM NEWS: Here's how the Clarets line-up for the @premierleague opener @ChelseaFC. pic.twitter.com/juABWYIqBZ
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) August 12, 2017
2.55pmWorryingly for Burnley, they only won one of their 19 Premier League away matches last season – suffering 14 defeats in the process. Only rock-bottom team Sunderland had a worst away record than the Clarets, and when considering that Chelsea won 17 of their 19 home league games last season, it is very difficult to predict an upset in this match. Kickoff is almost upon us here!
2.58pmHere we go then - both sets of players have joined us on the pitch ahead of kickoff at Stamford Bridge. You have to fancy the champions Chelsea this afternoon, especially considering Burnley's away record last season. Let's hope for an entertaining game of football. Kickoff just two minutes away!
0 minKICKOFF! Burnley kick things off at Stamford Bridge...
2 min... it has been a remarkable start to the new Premier League season in terms of goals. Will that continue this afternoon? As expected, Chelsea have been in control of the early possession here.
3 minBOOKING! Alonso (Chelsea) is booked for a poor tackle on Brady.
4 minHalf-chance for Burnley as Brady floats a free kick onto the head of Mee, but the centre-back's effort never had enough power to beat Courtois. Nice, open start to this football match.
6 minBurnley boss Dyche will be delighted with the way that his team have started this match. Chelsea are seeing bits of the ball, but the visitors have been comfortable, and are carrying a threat down the other end of the field. You just get the feeling that Burnley need to keep it tight for the first 20 minutes.
9 minBetter from Chelsea in the last couple of minutes as the champions start to find some space in a wide area. Azpilicueta breaks down the right before looking to pick out a teammate inside the box, but it drifts over Heaton's crossbar. There is a really good atmosphere at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
11 minAgain Chelsea threaten down the right as Willian finds some space before delivering towards the head of Boga, but the debutant is penalised for a challenge on Tarkowski, who has taken Michael Keane's spot in the Burnley defence. The opening 11 minutes of this match have flown past here.
12 minHalf-chance for Willian as the Brazilian looks to meet a super cross from a wide position, but Tarkowski is on hand to make the challenge. Tarkowski has made a strong start to this match.
14 minRED CARD! CAHILL!
15 minOh my word! Chelsea are down to 10 men as Cahill is sent off for a late challenge on Defour. What a massive moment. It was late from Cahill, but I am not sure how much contact was made!
16 minBOOKING! Fabregas (Chelsea) is booked for dissent.
18 minCHELSEA SUB! Christensen replaces Boga, whose debut is cut short!
19 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Vokes heads home for Burnley, but the flag is raised.
22 minThe confidence is flowing for Burnley at the moment as the visitors pass and probe in the final third of the field. Chelsea just need to get through this next 10 minutes without conceding as they look to build once again. Conte's side will be seriously tested this afternoon, that is for sure.
24 minGOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Burnley (Vokes)
25 minBurnley take the lead in the 24th minute as Cokes turns a brilliant Lowton cross into the bottom corner. It somehow squeezed past Courtois, and the visitors lead at Stamford Bridge!
27 minIt has been a decent response from Chelsea as the home side look to hit back, but Burnley have restricted the champions to very little. The home supporters are very concerned here.
30 minNot an awful lot to report in terms of chances in the last couple of minutes, with Burnley quite comfortable as they continue to hold off the pressure from this nervous Chelsea outfit.
32 minAlonso strikes one from distance, but Vokes is on hand to make the block as Burnley survive another period of pressure. The home supporters are driving Chelsea forward at the moment.
34 minYou look at this Chelsea team without Hazard, without Costa, without the likes of Matic, and you just wonder whether it has enough to turn this game around. Time will tell, but the signs are not great.
36 minBurnley are struggling to keep the ball at the moment, and while it is understandable why they have dropped deep, it is inviting pressure from Chelsea. The champions are short of ideas, however, as another cross from Alonso is easily cleared. Batshuayi needs to offer more for the home side here.
39 minGOAL! Chelsea 0-2 Burnley (Ward)
40 minOh my word! Burnley double their lead at Stamford Bridge as Ward hammers one into the top corner after breaking into the Chelsea box. What a wonderful strike from the full-back!
42 minGOAL! Chelsea 0-3 Burnley (Vokes)
43 minGood grief! Incredible! Burnley, yes Burnley lead 3-0 at the champions Chelsea as Vokes rises unmarked to head a Defour cross into the far corner of the net. Just incredible scenes here.
45 minWhat a start to the season this has been. I am almost lost for words here. Almost.
45 min+1We are into the first of three additional minutes at the end of the first period here.
45 min+2Burnley only won one of their 19 away Premier League matches last season, but they are 3-0 ahead at the champions Chelsea. It has been a quite remarkable first period, and it will be interesting to see the response of the Chelsea supporters to the half-time whistle. What a game of football.
45 min+4HALF-TIME: Chelsea 0-3 Burnley
3.48pmWhat a first half of football. The referee brings the first period to a close with boos ringing around Stamford Bridge. Burnley lead 3-0 at Chelsea, who are down to 10 men following an early red card for Cahill. There is a quite incredible story developing here. Be sure to stay tuned for the second period!
3.53pmSTATISTICS! Chelsea shaded the first-half possession with 58%, but the champions failed to register a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes. As for Burnley, the visitors scored from three of their four attempts on target. Cahill has seen red for Chelsea, while Fabregas and Alonso have picked up bookings for Conte's side. I am still trying to get over that first half of action.
3.58pmBENCH WATCH! Morata is on the Chelsea bench this afternoon, and it would be a surprise if we did not see the Spaniard in the second period. Musonda and Kenedy, meanwhile, are also options for the home side. Burnley have support from the bench in the shape of Arfield, Barnes, Taylor and Walters.
46 minRESTART! Chelsea resume the action here...
47 min... no changes from either side at the break. However, I suspect that both managers will already have alterations in mind as the second period gathers pace. Can Chelsea turn this around? Surely not!
48 minRudiger hits one from distance, but his effort was always moving wide of the Burnley post.
50 minSAVE! Wonderful from Heaton as the Burnley goalkeeper keeps out a long-range strike from Alonso. Brilliant from the former Manchester United stopper, who makes a super save.
53 minPossession football from Burnley at the moment as they pass and probe in Chelsea's half of the field. However, the Clarets need to be careful as Chelsea nick the ball before launching a counter-attack. You do get the feeling that the home side need one back before the hour mark here.
54 minHeaton is on hand to keep out a weak effort from Batshuayi.
56 minFabregas needs to be really careful here as he continues to dive into challenges. The Spaniard was booked for dissent in the first period, and the last thing Chelsea need is to lose another player.
58 minHalf-chance for Burnley as Vokes wins another high ball, but this time his effort drops wide of the post. Chelsea are vulnerable from set pieces at the moment, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
59 minCHELSEA SUB! Morata replaces Batshuayi for the home side.
61 minMorata's first involvement sees him find space in a forward position, but the striker's effort was always moving wide of the post. Little under 30 minutes of normal time remaining in London.
61 minBOOKING! Brady (Burnley) is booked for a poor challenge on Willian.
61 minSAVE! Stunning save from Heaton to keep out Alonso's free kick!
63 minBOOKING! Mee (Burnley) is booked for a heavy challenge on Morata.
65 minHalf-chance for Chelsea as Luiz meets a free kick from Fabregas, but the Brazilian's effort was always rising over the crossbar. Burnley are dropping deeper and deeper at the moment here.
67 minHalf-chance for Burnley as Brady throws himself at a deep cross from Defour, but the Republic of Ireland international's effort is wide of the post. Still no movement on the Burnley bench here.
69 minGOAL! Chelsea 1-3 Burnley (Morata)
70 minChelsea are back in this football match as Morata heads a brilliant Willian cross into the bottom corner! It is game on at Stamford Bridge and the pressure is now on Burnley to hold on here.
72 minThe pressure will be on Romelu Lukaku to score for Manchester United tomorrow as debutant strikers continue to find the back of the net on the opening weekend of the new Premier League campaign. Still a solid 20 minutes of football to play, and Chelsea are firmly on the front foot.
73 minGOAL DISALLOWED! Chelsea have the ball in the back of the net, but Morata is ruled offside.
75 minBURNLEY SUBS! Walters and Arfield replace Defour and Gudmundsson.
76 minCourtois has to save from Mee as Burnley threaten to score a fourth goal here.
76 minBOOKING! Arfield (Burnley) is booked for a foul on Alonso.
78 minBOOKING! Luiz (Chelsea) is booked for dissent.
81 minAll Chelsea as the home side look to set up a grandstand finish, but Burnley are holding on as the Clarets look to record an incredible win on the opening weekend of the campaign. Kante is the latest Chelsea player to try his luck, but the midfielder's effort was always wide of the post.
81 minRED CARD! FABREGAS!
82 minOh my word! Fabregas is off for Chelsea after picking up a second yellow for a tackle on Cork.
84 minWhat a disastrous afternoon for the Premier League champions!
85 minHeaton saves from Morata as Chelsea look to make a fight of the latter stages here.
87 minBurnley are extremely deep at the moment as they look to resist the pressure in the final moments. Nine-man Chelsea are heading for defeat on the opening weekend of the new campaign.
88 minGOAL! Chelsea 2-3 Burnley (Luiz)
89 minWow! Morata flicks on to Luiz and the centre-back hammers home for 3-2!
89 minBOOKING! Rudiger (Chelsea) is booked for a foul on Walters.
90 minCROSSBAR! Brady hits the crossbar with a free kick!
90 min+1We are into the first of four additional minutes at the end of the second period.
90 min+2Burnley are simply keeping the ball in the final stages of this match.
90 min+2CHELSEA SUB! Musonda replaces Christensen for the home side.
90 min+3Time is running out for Chelsea as Burnley keep the ball in a non-threatening position.
90 min+4Willian delivers into the Burnley box, but Mee heads clear!
90 min+4CHANCE! Morata cannot convert from close range!
90 min+5FULL-TIME! Chelsea 2-3 Burnley
4.53pmWhat a game! Burnley hold on to record a 3-2 victory at Premier League champions Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season. What a start to the new campaign this has been! Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!
