CHELSEA have become only the second champions in Premier League history to make a losing start to their title defence.
Antonio Conte’s side crashed to a 3-2 defeat to the pre-season relegation candidates as they suffered a nightmare opening day in front of their home crowd. And the stunning loss saw them join an unwanted list of title winners who have slumped to defeat on the first day of the new campaign in the 25-year history of the Premier League.
Only once before have the champions even lost the first match of the new campaign – when Leicester slipped to a 2-1 home defeat to Hull last year.
It wasn’t just the defeat that was bad for the London club they also saw new captain Gary Cahill sent-off for a shocking challenge on Burnley’s Steven Defour.
And to cap a miserable day off they were reduced to nine men when Cesc Fabregas was shown red for his second bookable offence. Sam Vokes scored twice for Burnley, either side of a brilliant strike from Stephen Ward, as Sean Dyche’s men made a mockery of the pre-match predictions of doom for the Clarets.
New signing Alvaro Morata at least notched his first league goal for the club since his move from real Madrid but that was small consolation on a disasterous day for Chelsea.
A late second for Chelsea by David Luiz gave them hope of completing an amazing comeback but in the end it was Dyche and his Burnley players celebrating the shock win.
From The Sun
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