Chelsea replaced Arsenal inside the Premier
League's top four, despite being held to a
2-2 draw by Burnley at Stamford Bridge on
Monday night.


Jeff Hendrick put the Clarets into an early
lead, before N'Golo Kante and Gonzalo
Higuain struck back for the hosts. Burnley
answered back again when Ashley Barnes
headed in after 24 minutes.



The stalemate leaves the Blues trailing third-
place Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.
Chelsea lead Arsenal by a point and
Manchester United by three but have played
a game more than their nearest rivals in the
race to qualify for next season's UEFA
Champions League.



No One Wants Top 4
Fourth place in the Premier League isn't a
hot potato, it's a ticket to the lucrative
Champions League. Still, you could be
forgiven for thinking the opposite based on
how Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United
approached must-win games in the top-four
race this weekend.


Chelsea turned up to host a goal-shy Burnley
outfit and promptly conceded twice while
barely twitching a hair. Jeff Hendrick's
eighth-minute strike was a peach of a hit,
but he had the freedom of west London to
make it.



Equally sweet strikes from Kante and
Higuain should have been the nerve-settlers
Chelsea needed. Instead, the Blues remained
generous at the back, allowing Ashley
Barnes to head in under no pressure.



It was hardly surprising manager Maurizio
Sarri sought an inquest into what was going
wrong defensively. Wisely, Sarri chose David
Luiz, no stranger to an error, as the man to
provide him with answers.


The discussion hardly bore fruit since
Burnley started the second half on the front
foot, creating chances with ease. Those
chances didn't yield goals only because of
the Clarets' own profligacy, rather than any
Chelsea improvement.



What Chelsea’s shaky displayed proved
beyond doubt is the winner of the race for
fourth will likely be the least incompetent
group standing.



If Chelsea fans seek a consolation, it comes
from the hapless performances their nearest
rivals had already produced.


A trip to Everton was always going to
represent a tricky fixture for United. Yet the
manner of the surrender during Sunday’s 4-0
defeat has to have alarm bells ringing
around Old Trafford ahead of the visit of


derby rivals Manchester City on Wednesday.
United hardly look Champions League-worthy
thanks to a defence more vulnerable than
Chelsea's suspect unit.




Then there's Arsenal, a club where defensive
lapses are so common it's as if they are
contractual obligations for every player. Step
forward Shkodran Mustafi, who was chiefly
responsible for all three of the goals Crystal
Palace scored at the Emirates Stadium on
Sunday.




The Eagles have been strong on their
travels, but the Gunners had turned their
home into a fortress of sorts. Quite how
Arsenal failed to translate the confidence
accrued from beating Napoli in the UEFA
Europa quarter-final into a home banker
against a team entering Sunday still not free
from the threat of relegation, is beyond
baffling.



Maybe Mustafi and the Gunners were just
victims to the malaise afflicting the three
teams scrapping for fourth. No one member
of the trio looks good enough to deserve it.

What's Next?



Chelsea face United at Old Trafford on
Sunday after Burnley host title-
chasing Manchester City at Turf Moor.
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Draw vs. Burnley
JAMES DUDKO
NBC Sports Soccer



@NBCSportsSoccer
GOAL Burnley! Jeff
Hendrick with a
STUNNING strike to
open the scoring. Stream
here: https:///
B0VbO6xm7d https://
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