Burnley and Chelsea in Scintillating Draw at "Fortress Turf Moor"

sBALTIMORE, Maryland, Sunday, February 12, 2017 - In the snow and cold that is this Sunday in the Northern England town of Lancashire, Burnley is rising up, straight up, and what's more, they are doing right before your very own eyes.  Out on the pitch, the Number One side in the Premier League has came to ancient Turf Moor, thinking it will walk all over the locals and leave with a very easy win.  But Chelsea is in the process of learning a very nasty lesson.   On this bitter February day, Chelsea will not leave with a win.  They will catch a bit of luck and escape with a draw that they really don't deserve.  True, they jump out to a 1-0 lead.  But it will not stand.  Burnley had gone out and signed precocious Robbie Brady for what, for the Claret, is a record amount.  Turned loose on Chelsea, Brady's set piece in the 24th minute eludes the diving Blues' Keeper, Thibaut Courtois, to knot the score. 

The match never was unknotted.  

The BBC now calls Burnley's Home Stadium, "Fortress Turf Moor."  This is because all but one of Burnley's 30 points have been earned there. In fact - and what an amazing fact it is -  the Claret's home record is just as good as any teams in the top flight.  Hard to believe, really, when the budget and resources are considered.  And Burnley came so close to beating powerful Chelsea. Matt Lowdon made a strong run in the penalty area, only to have Courtois somehow deny his bid.  Later, Andre Gray got in on Courtois and rifled a low blistering shot to the superb keeper's right, but Courtois was equal and this, in and of itself, spared those Blues from a totally fruitless trip to snowy Lancashire. Consider this stunning fact: Chelsea did not have even a single shot on goal in the second half.  No wonder the BBC named Claret defender Michael Keane the player of the match.  The right snitty football press immediately bemoaned the failure by Chelsea to secure all three available points.  But the ones saying this either didn't see the match, or watched but did not really see.  Said the BBC, "In the end, [Chelsea] manager Antonio Conte will perhaps consider this a point gained." instead of two points lost. 

The fact is - the real reality is - Burnley is rising, rising fast, and Chelsea was fortunate to have caught them this day, and held them to only one point, instead of the three they really deserved.