Pedro Neto sets Chelsea on their way to comfortable win at Burnley
By Eleanor Crooks, PA Sport Correspondent
Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez saw Chelsea begin an important week with a 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Neto, who also hit a post in the second half, scored with a spectacular diving header in the 37th minute and Fernandez added a late second to give the Blues their fifth win from their last six Premier League games.
Chelsea can return to London in good spirits ahead of home clashes with Barcelona in the Champions League and Arsenal next Sunday.
Three points. ✔️#CFC | #BURCHE pic.twitter.com/3DRsg7jxWl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 22, 2025
Enzo Maresca made four changes from the win over Wolves before the international break, including leaving Moises Caicedo on the bench after he played twice for Ecuador.
Wesley Fofana was left out altogether, while Alejandro Garnacho was also among the substitutes, with Reece James, Jamie Gittens, Tosin Adarabioyo and Andrey Santos all starting.
Caicedo’s absence was very noticeable in the early stages, with Burnley exploiting gaps down the wings and in between the defence and midfield.
Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony were particularly lively and both were denied by last-ditch blocks, while Tchaouna also sent a first-time shot straight at Robert Sanchez.
But Chelsea grew in influence as the half wore on, with Neto and Liam Delap looking to run in behind, and they would have taken the lead in the 34th minute but for a perfectly-timed sliding tackle from Kyle Walker to deny Gittens.
There minutes later Gittens turned provider as the visitors did make the breakthrough, with Marc Cucurella holding up a long ball and finding the former Borussia Dortmund man, whose deep cross was met acrobatically at the back post by Neto.
Chelsea made a change for the second half, with fit-again Benoit Badiashile replacing James, and play eventually got under way again after a technical issue with an assistant referee’s radio was resolved.
The visitors picked up where they left off and applied consistent pressure to the Burnley goal, with Neto coming agonisingly close to adding a second in the 63rd minute.
The winger was played in down the right and shot first time at Martin Dubravka’s near post, with the goalkeeper getting fingertips to the ball before it pinged away off the upright.
Burnley had barely been in Chelsea’s half in the second period, but they created their clearest opening in the 69th minute when Quilindschy Hartman picked out Zian Flemming after a free-kick was played to him, only for the Dutchman to sky his shot.
Scott Parker made a triple substitution, sending on Lyle Foster, Hannibal Mejbri and Armando Broja, who has recovered quickly from the ankle problem he sustained playing for Albania against England.
But Chelsea remained the more likely scorers and Dubravka tipped over a shot from substitute Malo Gusto, while Burnley were furious not to get more out of a shoving match between Badiashile and Jacob Bruun Larsen at a corner than a booking for the Frenchman.
The second goal for the visitors finally arrived in the 88th minute, a move that started with Sanchez ending with Marc Guiu muscling in behind and squaring for Fernandez, whose shot beat two Burnley defenders on the line.
