Alvaro Morata Scores as Chelsea Rout Burnley

Chelsea moved up to second in the Premier League and to within two points of leaders Liverpool after demolishing Burnley 4-0 at Turf Moor on Sunday.

The Blues had won only one of their previous four league outings at Turf Moor, but goals from Alvaro Morata, Ross Barkley, Willian and Ruben Loftus-Cheek helped the Blues extend their unbeaten run to 14 matches. Loftus-Cheek's strike was his fourth goal in two matches.

Morata has scored three times in his past four appearances for the club. Sean Dyche's men, meanwhile, dropped to 15th and are potentially edging towards a relegation scrap.

Morata Proving He's Better Than Giroud

It's a debate that's warred on since January, when Olivier Giroud arrived at Stamford Bridge from Arsenal as competition for the ailing Morata, whose early prolific form in England had dried up.

But that was a different time at Chelsea, and Sarri's decision to grant the Spain international more prominence in his attacking lineup of late has been repaid in the shape of a serious upturn in form.

The Italian tactician, unlike predecessor Antonio Conte, encourages a much more fluid and forward-thinking setup. And not since his earliest days at the Bridge has Morata enjoyed this form in the Premier League, as Squawka highlighted:

Giroud and Morata are different types of strikers. The latter has scored four times in 10 starts this season (13 appearances total), while the former has yet to score in 11 outings this term, only five of which have been starts.

The France international does have four assists in that time, but in order to alleviate the pressure on talisman Eden Hazard—who was absent through injury Sunday—Chelsea need a striker who can find the back of the net, not another architect.

It was visible on Sunday just what an impact Sarri has had in rejuvenating Morata:

What was most encouraging about the 26-year-old's performance at Turf Moor was the versatility of his play. Even in Hazard's absence, he didn't need to be encouraged to drop deep, and he knew when to hang closer to the opposition box; his decisions, more often than not, were the right ones.

And that's likely to be Morata's biggest advantage over the more static Giroud. If the Spaniard can maintain the same level of activity in order to open up those chances for his undeniable scoring touch, Giroud won't be able to play his way back into Sarri's starting XI.

Ross Barkley Must Continue to Start for Blues

As if Chelsea supporters needed more convincing following his recent streak of success, Barkley stood out as the leader not many might have envisioned he could become with the Blues upon his signing.

But as it turns out, it seems the former Everton star was also waiting on Sarri to get the best out of his ability, and there's little doubt the Englishman should keep his spot in the club's starting lineup moving forward.

It's a difficult debate given the sheer quantity of midfield talent at Chelsea, but having notched a goal and two assists in a 4-0 win, it's fair to say he starred as Sunday's Man of the Match.

Barkley, 24, recently netted against Southampton as well as in the recent 2-2 draw against United, and OptaJoe told of how his streak is comparable to one Chelsea legend in particular:

Cesc Fabregas came on to play his first league minutes of the season Sunday, though it's fair to say Sarri doesn't appear to have the Spaniard high in his plans. N'Golo Kante is undroppable, and £50 million summer signing Jorginho is Sarri's prized possession.

Mateo Kovacic is only on loan from Real Madrid, however. Chelsea may want to prove to the Croat that he's important to their cause if they wish to land a permanent deal in the summer, but it may be that Barkley—a homegrown asset and one who could prove extremely valuable at only £15 million—deserves his spot more.

The other difficult argument is where Loftus-Cheek, who also scored Sunday, could fit into that midfield three.

It was a slow start to life in London for the Merseysider, but Barkley has been backed by Bleacher Report's Dean Jones to reach his peak after correcting what was looking like a downward trajectory:

Author Mark Worrall joined in the chorus of those singing Barkley's praises after Sunday's masterclass:

It seems naive to argue that "it was only Burnley" he dazzled against, too, given it's the third successive game in which he's scored.

Simply put, Barkley has gripped his chances and is producing the goods game after game at present. Others may have cost more and have more prestige, but there's little more a young English midfielder in the Premier League can do to tie down his place in the manager's plans.

What's Next?

Chelsea return to Carabao Cup action on Wednesday, when they will face Derby County, who knocked out Manchester United in the previous round. Burnley will travel to face West Ham United in their next Premier League clash on Saturday.