Late Terry Winner Silences Boo-Boys

[James 5,143]

Burnley 1-2 Chelsea
John Terry scored a late winner for Chelsea away at Burnley, to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.

The Chelsea and England captain was the centre of much media attention following allegations of his private life being spread across the tabloids, but left his critics stunned when he headed home a superb winner from Frank Lampard’s corner.

Chelsea had taken the lead after Nicolas Anelka converted from close range for his sixth goal in as many games, before Steven Fletcher expertly fired in an equaliser that was fortuitous in its craft.

But Terry rose highest just seven minutes from time to beat the despairing dive of Brian Jensen to bullet the ball into the roof of the net. There was no celebration from the Chelsea defender; he merely planted a kiss on the club emblem on his shirt.

The win completes a perfect January for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who are now on a six-match winning streak and unbeaten in ten matches in all competitions. Only Manchester City have bettered the Blues in their last twenty one games – nevertheless, this was still the Blues’ first win away from home since November.

The returning Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou were rested following International duties, so Ancelotti looked to the in-form Anelka to lead the line against the Clarets. Yuri Zhirkov replaced Deco and Alex deputised for Ricardo Carvalho, who was fit enough for the bench only.

The opening twenty minutes passed without note; limited merely to a Chelsea side in first gear probing for gaps in the hosts’ defence. The one time the Blues broke down Burnley’s stubborn back four, Frank Lampard blazed over from Anelka’s pull-back.

But the away side did not have to wait long to open the scoring. Petr Cech threw the ball sixty yards upfield to Joe Cole, who played a delightful pass to Florent Malouda. The French winger fed the ball to Anelka who coolly slotted home to open the scoring.

Suddenly Chelsea were playing with more fluidity and speed in their passing. Successfully keeping Burnley at arm’s length, they comfortably saw the game through to half-time, but the Blues’ performance in the second half is unlikely to bode well with the Chelsea manager.

Ancelotti saw his side play with an air of complacency, and they were caught out when Fletcher controlled a long ball from Robbie Blake to fire beyond Cech. The Burnley striker did well to bring the ball down, but was fortunate to see Alex’s attempted clearance hit him on the upper arm before he slotted home.

But all this did was spur Chelsea on. Rallying around their under-fire captain, the Blues stepped up several gears, and might have had a second when Malouda fired the ball goalwards, only to see it drift wide.

Ballack then headed wide and Alex spurned a decent chance from Malouda’s corner around the hour mark, before Lampard’s clever freekick was well-saved by Brian Jensen. Ballack sliced the rebound across the face of goal and Burnley cleared.

Chelsea were in the ascendancy, and only an incorrect offside call against Joe Cole denied Chelsea as they applied pressure to the accelerator. The Blues were getting closer; Malouda fired just wide of the post and substitute Danny Sturridge found Jensen in good form.

But with seven minutes left, Chelsea – and Terry – struck. Lampard’s outswinging corner was met by the England captain’s forehead, and he duly converted to seal the three points for Chelsea.

The margin of victory might have been greater but Lampard flashed a late chance over the bar, as the Blues played out the final minutes in relative comfort.

The result means the Blues are four points ahead of Manchester United and five clear of third-placed Arsenal – and Ancelotti’s side still have their game in hand to play – away at Hull on Tuesday.

An excellent January now leads into a promising February as the Blues face their toughest month so far this season; Arsenal, Everton, Manchester City and then a trip to the Giuseppe Meazza to play Internazionale Milano all await Chelsea this February.

___________________________________________________________________

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry ©, A Cole (Deco); Lampard, Ballack, Zhirkov; J Cole (Sturridge), Malouda; Anelka

Burnley: Jensen; Mears, Cort, Carlisle ©, Kalvenes (Duff); Elliott, Bikey, McDonald (Paterson), Eagles; Blake (Thompson); Fletcher

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea’s number 2 – Branislav Ivanovic

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