So squeaky bum time claims another victim.
This time a Chelsea side that looked a shoo-in to see off Sean Dyche’s Burnley.
Never mind the Clarets’ three wins from their previous three or their 15 goals in their previous 17 league matches. These were supposed to be the three points that would move Maurizio Sarri’s side above Spurs into third.
Instead the Blues became the third of the top-four wannabes to blow it within 24 hours to leave Spurs – who face Brighton on Tuesday night – as masters of their top-four destiny.
To be fair to Chelsea showed they meant business right from the start following their success at reaching last week’s Europa League semi-final. Within two minutes of the kick-off Eden Hazard’s diagonal effort, through a crowd of players, was well held by Burnley keeper Tom Heaton.
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Four minutes later Hazard released Gonzalo Higuain down the left side of the Burnley box. The Argentine’s flick appeared to be sneaking in at the back post – only for Ben Mee to hook it off the line.
It looked a matter of time before the deadlock would be broken. When it was, however, Stamford Bridge would be left stunned.
It was Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick who drew first blood with a volley from the edge of the Chelsea box so good it should have been preceded by a drum roll.
Hazard tends not to take kindly to being upstaged and just five minutes after that he set up the equaliser.
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Clarets full-back Matty Lowton was left in a heap as he tried and failed to close the Belgian down on the left of the box. Instead Hazard rolled the ball into the path of N’golo Kante and the France midfielder swept it past Heaton.
Two minutes after that, Jorginho released Higuain whose footwork left Mee dazed and confused.
Higuain then traded passes with Cesar Azpilicueta before blasting in off the underside of the crossbar for only his fourth goal in 14 appearances since his January arrival. All this, remember, in the opening quarter-hour.
Surely from here it would be Chelsea who would go on to press home the advantage.
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It certainly looked that way as Ruben Loftus Cheek left away hearts in mouths with his delicious, curling effort which rose only narrowly past the angle of post and bar.
In the 23rd minute, however, Burnley levelled again. From Ashley Westwood’s free-kick, Mee headed into the six-yard box, Chris Wood flicked the ball onto the back stick and there was Ashley Barnes to turn it home. A superbly-worked goal.
To make matters worse for Sarri, rising star Callum Hudson Odoi limped off five minutes before the break with a suspected Achilles injury. Kante then failed to re-emerge after half time and was said to have been struggling with a back problem.
On this evidence it might be Chelsea’s struggle to get back – into the Champions League.
