Chelsea FC were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Burnley FC after conceding a late equaliser in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues made a fast start and went ahead inside five minutes through João Pedro, who notched his 11th league goal of the season. Chelsea dominated early proceedings and looked capable of extending their lead, but Burnley defended resolutely and limited clear-cut chances. Cole Palmer came close to doubling the advantage before the break, yet the first half ended with the hosts holding only a narrow lead.
After the restart, Chelsea pushed again, with Palmer and João Pedro involved in promising moves, but key moments went against them, including penalty appeals that were waved away. The game turned decisively when defender Wesley Fofana received a second yellow card, reducing Chelsea to 10 men for the final stages.
With the numerical advantage, Burnley piled on the pressure and eventually found the breakthrough in stoppage time, converting from a corner after leaving a player unmarked in the box. Chelsea had one final opportunity to reclaim the lead, but Liam Delap fired over.
The result sees Chelsea move up to fourth place for now, level on points with Manchester United, who have a game in hand. Attention now turns to a challenging away fixture against Arsenal FC next weekend.
