EPL: Burnley 1-2 Chelsea

Victor Moses struck a 69th-minute winner

Victor Moses netted the winner as Chelsea won 2-1 at Turf Moor to ease the pressure on London rivals Arsenal by denting Burnley's surge for sixth place.

Victor Moses struck a 69th-minute winner to move Antonio Conte's side to within five points of fourth-placed Tottenham with four games to play and the result will build confidence ahead of Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.

Kevin Long's unfortunate own goal (20) had given Chelsea a first-half lead, which was cancelled out by Ashley Barnes' fortuitous strike (64), but Burnley's run of five successive victories would ultimately be ended by last season's champions.

 

Sean Dyche's side remain in seventh place as they continue to fight for a Europa League spot, but are now two points behind Arsenal having played a game more.

 Chelsea opened the scoring in unlikely fashion in the 20th minute when Victor Moses crossed from the right and Pope failed to punch the ball away, instead palming the ball onto the knee and then hand of his own defender Long and seeing it rebound into the net.

 

The goalkeeper was at fault for the goal, but twice denied the wasteful Alvaro Morata in the first half, clearing an early shot across goal with his legs before rushing off his line to stop the striker getting a shot away.

Morata, who started in a front two alongside Olivier Giroud, was guilty of a glaring miss 10 minutes after half-time when he was played clean through by N'Golo Kante, but after taking two touches to set himself steered the ball narrowly wide of the post.

 

And Chelsea were even more frustrated in the 64th minute when Burnley equalised in fortunate circumstances. Johann Berg Gudmundsson struck a low shot from 20 yards which was heading wide, but it took a fierce deflection off Barnes, wrong-footing Thibaut Courtois and finding its way into the far corner.

 

But the away side restored their lead five minutes later when Emerson's left-wing cross found Moses unmarked eight yards from goal and he drilled a low shot past Pope at his near post.

Eden Hazard emerged from the bench for the final 20 minutes, but the victory was rarely under threat in the closing stages and Conte still has a top-four finish - as well as FA Cup glory - in his sights this season.