Thomas Tuchel registered his first win in charge of Chelsea as goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and the recalled Marcos Alonso helped his side see off Burnley 2-0.
Chelsea captain Azpilicueta, playing under his eighth Blues manager, finished off a fine flowing move five minutes before half-time to open the scoring at Stamford Bridge.
Alonso, making his first start since September after being frozen out under the previous boss Frank Lampard, sealed the victory late on with a fine strike.
Sean Dyche’s Burnley headed to Stamford Bridge off the back of three straight wins, and made life difficult for Chelsea’s attack in the first half without offering much of a threat themselves.
Chelsea continued to search for that vital second goal after the break, and got their reward as Alonso juggled the ball inside the area before firing home a stunning volley from a tight angle to secure the victory.
The win sent Chelsea seventh in the table for now. While a title challenge looks a long way off with leaders Manchester City finding form and results, the result boosts the Blues’ hopes of mounting a fight for Champions League qualification.