Chelsea 2 Burnley 2: Are fans sticking with Pochettino? And where ...

Chelsea have had some disappointing days this season but this has to rank as one of the worst.

Giving up two points to relegation-threatened Burnley at Stamford Bridge would have been bad enough, but doing so when the visitors played for more than half the match with 10 men simply compounded Mauricio Pochettino’s misery.

Two goals from the ever-reliable Cole Palmer were the highlights but defensive deficiencies were exploited by Burnley, as Chelsea’s hopes of European qualification suffered another blow.

Here, we analyse the big talking points.

Are the fans turning?

The last time Chelsea played at Stamford Bridge, the home crowd turned on the head coach, booed Raheem Sterling and made their feelings of displeasure known on a regular basis.

That was just a fortnight ago and since then the Chelsea Supporters Group and the club’s Fan Advisory Board have issued contradictory public statements, betraying division within the ranks.

Chelsea’s struggle to get a point against 10-man Burnley today could have led to more displays of unrest. This was a very poor result under the circumstances, after all.

Yes, there were groans on occasion at the odd poor finish or misplaced pass, but the crowd did their best to offer encouragement.

An indication of that was when Sterling came on as a second half substitute. Instead of being jeered, he was cheered and applauded on.

Even in injury time, there were chants of ‘Chelsea’ as the men in blue huffed and puffed to get a winner, ultimately to no avail.

When the final whistle went, there were some loud boos but neither Pochettino or the Chelsea players could blame them for that after dropping two crucial points.

When will Thiago Silva play again?

Mauricio Pochettino has been sending a pretty clear message of late that he is looking to move on from the veteran centre back.

Silva has not played since suffering a groin injury at Crystal Palace on February 12 but he has been back in the squad since the start of the month and confined to the substitutes’ bench.

It is worth pointing out that, just a few weeks before the groin issue, Silva’s wife went on social media to write a critical post saying the club needs to make a change. It came across as being aimed at Pochettino.

Whether that has had anything to do with Pochettino’s thinking, only the manager will know. Yet Silva’s Burnley omission will only increase the scrutiny.

Chelsea were without centre-backs Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill, but Silva still lost out on playing for Chelsea this afternoon with Benoit Badiashile getting a chance to play alongside Axel Disasi instead.

This was Badiashile’s first start since February 7 himself. It has been a tough campaign for the Frenchman due to fitness issues and some disappointing displays.

He looked confident with the ball at his feet today but defensively was missing at times. Burnley created a host of chances, even with 10 men. And Dara O’Shea’s late header meant Chelsea have let in two goals in five successive matches.

It just felt like an occasion where Silva’s greater experience would have been a great asset, even against the relegation strugglers. Silva must be wondering when Pochettino will call upon him again.

Is Mudryk finally starting to click?

It has taken longer than many would have hoped for in his second season at Chelsea, but Mykhailo Mudryk is beginning to show some self-belief.

Remarkably this was the Ukraine international’s first start in the Premier League since December 27, when he scored in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

A combination of bad form and injury has contributed to his lack of appearances, but things appear to be on an upward turn over the last few weeks.

There was a fine goal against Newcastle, a good outing as a No 10 versus Leicester and then a big winner for Ukraine while on international duty to help them qualify for the European Championship.

Mudryk played on the left against Burnley and it soon became apparent what kind of mood he was in. A sublime flick through his legs earned Lorenz Assignon his first yellow card. It was the same Burnley player who was adjudged to have fouled Mudryk for the controversial penalty before half-time and was sent off for a second booking.

Whether the decision should have stood or not, it showed how much of a threat he was causing. The 23-year-old should have had an assist before then. His sublime cross should have been converted legally by Axel Disasi, but the defender found the net with his arm rather than his head.

Mudryk kept trying things, without everything coming off, but the fact he was attempting to make a difference is in stark contrast to some of his more subdued displays.

As Chelsea tried to restore their lead in the second half, his speed almost led to a repeat of his fine individual Newcastle effort, but a last-ditch tackle denied him. And then, on the hour mark, a goal-bound shot was blocked.

What did Pochettino say?

The Chelsea struggled to hide his disappointment at seeing his side twice lose a lead.

“We didn’t show the consistency and the capacity to deal with and manage the game,” he told the BBC. “We allowed them some actions from set pieces to get some possibility to believe.

“It is a result that shows that we need to improve in many areas if we want to be competitive.

“It was so easy for them to get to our last third. We were not aggressive enough in open play and defending set pieces. We need to improve like a team and be more competitive.”

What next for Chelsea?

Thursday, April 4: Manchester United (H), Premier League, 8.15pm BST, 3.15pm ET

Chelsea try again for a win against Manchester United, something they haven’t achieved in seven meetings since the post-lockdown FA Cup semi-finals at an empty Wembley in July 2020. United have beaten them twice in a row, both at Old Trafford, with the five previous games all ending in draws. You have to go back to November 2017 for Chelsea’s most recent victory over them at Stamford Bridge.

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(Top photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)/Getty Images)