Chelsea held 1-1 draw by Burnley and Sarri sent to the stands

Chelsea missed out on the chance to go into third place in the Premier League standings after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley.

Chelsea's Gonzalo Higuain scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Burnley in London on April 22, 2019. [Photo: AP]

The visitors took an eighth minute lead following a stunning volley from Jeff Hendrick, but Maurizio Sarri's side replied with two goals in as many minutes from N'Golo Kante and Gonzalo Higuain.

Burnley stuck to their guns and Ashley Barnes equalised in the 24th minute.

That was that in terms of goals - Chelsea struggled to convert their superior possession into tangible chances in front of the goal over the rest of the game and frustration boiled over towards the end.

But the upshot is that after Chelsea's top four rivals - the Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United - all lost over the weekend, 'The Blues' might look back on this match as the one where their Champions League hopes took a fatal blow.

At the other end of the table, Burnley reached 40 points for the season - the total traditionally regarded as marking safety from relegation.