By Peter Hall
BURNLEY, England (Reuters) -Chelsea secured back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since March after coming from behind to thrash Burnley 4-1 on Saturday.
Looking to end a run of four successive home defeats on their return to the top flight this season, promoted Burnley raced into a 15th-minute lead, Wilson Odobert scoring his first goal in English football to stun the visitors.
Chelsea offered little in response until Ameen Al Dakhil put through his own net in the most unfortunate circumstances three minutes before the break to get Mauricio Pochettino’s team back level.
Having failed to win in their last 19 matches when conceding the opening goal in the Premier League, a run dating back to October 2022, Chelsea completed the turnaround early in the second half, Cole Palmer converting from the penalty spot.
A fine Sterling goal and a fourth from substitute Nicolas Jackson put the game beyond the hosts, lifting Chelsea to ninth in the standings, with Burnley remaining in the relegation zone with only one win this season.
Burnley had won just one of their 16 Premier League matches against Chelsea, a 3-2 away win in 2017 when the Blues were reigning champions, but given the huge overhaul of both squads ahead of this season, such a record will not have been at the forefront of either sides’ minds.
Both teams began like units who had not quite got used to each other yet, with Palmer’s long-range effort that sailed well over the only real effort at goal in the opening exchanges.
Sterling whistled one fizzing strike past the post before Odobert collected a pass from Lyle Foster and fired through the legs of Chelsea full back Marc Cucurella into the bottom corner, the 18-year-old becoming Burnley’s youngest Premier League goalscorer.
Chelsea had plenty of possession for the remainder of the opening period but looked like they were going to be frustrated as the interval approached, only for Al Dakhil to divert Sterling’s cross over home goalkeeper James Trafford.
Sterling was again at the centre of things five minutes into the second half, drawing a foul from Vitinho to allow Palmer the chance to open his account for Chelsea, which he emphatically fired home.
A third always looked like and Conor Gallagher sent Sterling through for the England international to arrow home his third of the season.
Jackson’s well-taken fourth, set up by Palmer, ensured the Chelsea fans head back to the capital with big smiles on their faces after seeing their team score four or more goals for the first time in 71 matches in all competitions.
(Reporting by Peter Hall, editing by Ed Osmond)
