LAST UPDATE | 7 Oct 2023
RAHEEM STERLING SPARKED a Chelsea comeback in a 4-1 win at Burnley, who slumped to a fifth consecutive home defeat to start the Premier League season.
Burnley stunned Chelsea 15 minutes in when 18-year-old Wilson Odobert became the Clarets’ youngest Premier League scorer.
But Sterling, again snubbed by England for next week’s internationals, helped turn the game around either side of half-time as Chelsea maintained their long unbeaten record at Turf Moor, where they have only once dropped points in nine visits in the Premier League era.
It was Sterling’s cross that deflected off Ameen Al Dakhil for a 42nd minute equaliser before he won the penalty dispatched by Cole Palmer early in the second half.
Sterling then capped a fine performance with Chelsea’s third in the 65th minute, hitting a confident strike into the bottom corner before substitute Nicolas Jackson added a fourth, with Sterling again involved in the build-up. Coming off the back of Monday’s 2-0 win at Fulham, Chelsea have won back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since March.
Josh Cullen started the game for Burnley, with Dara O’Shea introduced as a half-time substitute.
Elsewhere, Everton scored more than once at home for the first time in almost a year as Goodison Park finally celebrated a victory after a 3-0 win over a woeful Bournemouth.
22 October 2022 was the last time Goodison witnessed a game with multiple goals for the hosts when Crystal Palace were dispatched by the same scoreline.
On-loan Leeds winger Jack Harrison, who departed to a standing ovation late on, marked his full home debut with a brilliant lob over goalkeeper Neto to double the advantage given to them by James Garner’s early strike.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, whose goal against the Cherries in May secured the club’s top-flight survival here on the final day of the season, made the game safe on the hour with an altogether more simple close-range finish.
After four successive home defeats, Everton avoided a record worst start to a season at Goodison but were fortunate to come up against Bournemouth.
The visitors extended their own club-record winless run to 12 matches (nine defeats and three draws) and have now equalled their worst start to a season since 1994 in the third tier.
Sheffield United remain bottom of the league with just one point from eight games after a 3-1 defeat away to Fulham.
Injury-hit Crystal Palace held Nottingham Forest to a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in the evening kick-off.
Premier League results
- Luton 0-1 Spurs
- Burnley 1-4 Chelsea
- Everton 3-0 Bournemouth
- Fulham 3-1 Sheffield United
- Manchester United 2-1 Brentford
- Crystal Palace 0-0 Nottingham Forest
