Victor Moses' Goal Gives Chelsea Win vs. Burnley to Stay in Top 4 Hunt

Victor Moses scored the winner 13 minutes from time as Chelsea kept the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place after beating Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor in the Premier League on Thursday.

Moses had helped give the Blues the lead early when his shot went in off the chest of Clarets defender Kevin Long. Ashley Barnes equalised on 66 minutes thanks to a more fortunate deflection for the home side, before Moses slotted in the winner.

Chelsea have cut the gap on Spurs and a place in the top four to five points, while Burnley stay seventh after failing to overtake Arsenal.

Morata Continues to Struggle

Chelsea were on top early but would have been out of sight before the hour mark had it not been for Alvaro Morata's wayward finishing.

The Spaniard was denied more than once during the opening 45 minutes before inexplicably spurning a glorious chance 10 minutes after the restart. Despite being played through with a clean run at goal, the former Real Madrid attacker somehow managed to shoot wide of the post.

Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard was unimpressed but not surprised by the squandered effort:

Eurosport's Dan Levene compared Morata's miss to another misfiring Spanish striker who used to frustrate in Chelsea colours:

Morata started the season in red-hot form but has since lost his confidence. The fact Barnes' fortunate equaliser came moments after his latest wasted chance won't have helped Morata's dwindling belief.

Morata's angry reaction to being taken off for Eden Hazard on 70 minutes summed up his current trials. However, Goal's Nizaar Kinsella offered a smart take on how the striker should react to setbacks:

Based on Thursday's game, Olivier Giroud will be hard to displace by a striker so out of sorts.

2 Strikers Mostly a Success for Antonio Conte

It only lasted 70 minutes, but Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's experiment starting two up top proved largely positive. Having natural centre-forwards Giroud and Morata partner one another caught Burnley cold and allowed Chelsea to dominate early.

Tyrone Marshall of the Lancashire Telegraph noted how the Clarets seemed unprepared to face two strikers:

Chelsea bossed proceedings because of the way Morata and Giroud combined. Kinsella applauded their symbiosis after yet another smart linkup:

Kinsella wasn't the only one to notice how effortlessly Giroud and Morata dovetailed. ESPN FC's Liam Twomey also picked up on exactly how the pair complemented one another:

Giroud's range of passing and typically clever touches and flicks stood out, as the former Arsenal man created chances for Morata and Pedro. The latter enjoyed a free run in midfield in the new tactical structure.

Conte may not opt to star two No. 9s every week, particularly with Morata still largely out of sorts, but on this evidence, a Giroud-Morata partnership can be highly effective.

Ashley Barnes Still in the Goals

One of the most biggest reasons Burnley are pushing for a top-six finish is how prolific Ashley Barnes has been during 2018. The 28-year-old bagged his fourth goal in six matches when he was in the right place to divert Johann Berg Gudmundsson's delivery beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

As OptaJoe pointed out, Barnes has been among the goals this calendar year, thanks largely to a useful partnership with fellow striker Chris Wood:

Thanks to his target-man qualities, Barnes has been an unsung hero for the Clarets this season. His increasingly keen eye for goal won't keep him under the radar for much longer, though.

What's Next?

Chelsea will now switch attention to the cup semi-final and a last chance for silverware this season. Ironically, Burnley will be hoping Thursday's conquerors do them a favour and reach the final

It would mean the side finishing seventh can still qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Domestically, the Clarets will want to avoid a second-straight defeat when they travel to the bet365 Stadium to face relegation-threatened Stoke City.