Chelsea 2-3 Burnley: Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas see red as Sam Vokes brace gives champions worst possible start to Premier League title defence

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Chelsea have developed an unfortunate habit of summoning dark clouds from a clear blue sky and on Saturday the Premier League champions followed the glory of their title win last season by beckoning one hell of a deluge in the opening match of the defence of their crown.

After a summer of discontent, speculation about the future of manager Antonio Conte, disquiet about the sale of Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, an ugly wrangle with Diego Costa, the departure of John Terry and a perceived shortfall in signings, Chelsea chose a spectacular way to implode at Stamford Bridge.

They had their new captain, Gary Cahill, sent off in the 14th minute and were reduced to nine men late in the second half when Cesc Fabregas was also dismissed. In between they had shipped three goals to a team who only won once away in the league during the entirety of last season. 

Referee Craig Pawson shows a red card to Chelsea captain Gary Cahill just 14 minutes into the first half at Stamford Bridge

Cahill was sent off after a dangerously high tackle on Burnley midfielder Steven Defour and appeared to accept the decision

Burnley's Sam Vokes (centre) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the match against Chelsea

Burnley players appear ecstatic as they extend their lead over the Premier League champions to three goals via Vokes

Cesc Fabregas looks shocked as he is shown a second yellow card in the final minutes to leave Chelsea with just nine men

Alvaro Morata and David Luiz scored late goals for Chelsea to set up a grandstand finish for the champions

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton raises his arms in celebration as they seal a shock win over defending champions Chelsea

Antonio Conte agonises on the touchline as Chelsea miss a chance to equalise with the final attack of a frantic match

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Burnley display some total football as Sam Vokes finishes off a move started by goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

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With 10 men, and then with nine, Chelsea did at least mount a stirring attempt to claw their way back into the game and if there was any cause for optimism, it was in the substitute performance of Alvaro Morata, who scored one and made one on his debut.

Even Morata’s display was not without a stain, though. He was offside when he prodded in a goalbound effort from young Danish substitute Andreas Christensen. If he had not touched it, Chelsea might at least have salvaged a point from this sorry debacle.

That does not alter the fact that Chelsea gave the impression of being a side in disarray. Conte’s teamsheet looked like an angry message to the Chelsea board about failures in recruitment, even if he has spent £126 million in the last couple of months. The bench was packed with the kind of names Danny Rose would have had to Google and the young Ivory Coast midfielder, Jeremie Boga, was handed a debut. It did not last long.

On the sideline, Conte, who has unloaded promising youngsters Nathaniel Chalobah, Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma, looked a man wishing he had had the courage of his convictions and quit in the summer.

‘I want to win, not send a message,’ he said of his team selection later, but he is now the bookmakers’ favourite to be the first Premier League manager to leave his club this season. It was only one game but the manner of Chelsea’s defeat spoke of a club where all is not well.

It all seemed like a curious way to build on a title victory. This has happened before, of course. Chelsea have won the title five times in the Roman Abramovich era and only retained it once. The last time they won it under Jose Mourinho, they finished 10th the next season and the Portuguese was sacked.

When Carlo Ancelotti won the title in 2010, he finished the next season second and was sacked in a corridor at Goodison Park after the final match of the campaign.

This was only the first game of their latest title defence, but Chelsea’s season has been born under a bad sign.

Pedro and Eden Hazard, who are both injured, brought the Premier League trophy out on to the pitch before the game. They were met with polite applause but there was an air of trepidation.

Much has changed over the summer. Terry may only have been a bit-part player last season but he was a symbol of continuity and loyalty. Even though the sign that acclaims him ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ still hangs from the upper tier of the Matthew Harding Stand, his absence is felt by the fans.

There was no Costa, either. His whereabouts are unknown and his position is said to be the subject of a ‘legal process’, which makes him sound like a fugitive. It is almost certain he will move to Atletico Madrid before the end of the month.

Cahill appeared to be dragged back by Johann Berg Gudmundsson before he lunged in and made contact with Defour's shin

Cahill, who was making his first Premier League appearance as the official captain of Chelsea, walks off the pitch dejected

Chelsea's Andreas Christensen comes on as a substitute to replace debutante Jeremie Boga after 18 minutes

For all his awkwardness, Costa was a crucial part of this Chelsea side. His cussedness and his indomitability, not to mention his ability in front of goal, softened up opposing defences and made gaps for the flair players. Morata, who came off the bench after an hour, is a very different kind of striker but, still, he has big boots to fill.

Chelsea had not lost on the opening day of the season since 1998 but their troubles off the pitch did not take long to transfer to the action. They appeared most obviously in a lack of discipline. Marcos Alonso was booked very early for a high and late tackle on Matt Lowton and Cahill was sent off soon after.

The Chelsea skipper, whose image adorned the front of the programme, overran the ball in midfield and lunged forward to try to recover it, catching Steven Defour. It was not malicious but it was a poor tackle and referee Craig Pawson immediately brandished a red card.

Poor Boga. He was the first victim of the reorganisation when he was substituted for Christensen. His debut lasted 16 minutes. Maybe he will reflect that he was lucky to have missed what happened next. Chelsea collapsed. Even though they were reduced to 10 men, the manner of their capitulation was startling. 

The first blow came 10 minutes after Cahill’s dismissal when Sam Vokes helped on a Lowton cross with the inside of his right boot. It took a slight deflection off David Luiz and sneaked past Thibaut Courtois into the corner.

Chelsea did not seem to have any idea of how to get back into the game or stem the Burnley tide. Too often, they resorted to aimless long balls that the Burnley defence dealt easily with. Michy Batshuayi, starting ahead of Morata, was invisible except when his control was so poor it prompted groans from the crowd. 

Burnley deserve plenty of credit. For a start, it is worth mentioning that they have not yet replaced Michael Keane, who was sold to Everton for £25m. ‘We’ve only spent three quid,’ the Burnley fans sang gleefully as they battered Chelsea into submission in the opening 45 minutes.

Thibaut Courtois stretches to reach Vokes' shot but fails to keep it out of his net as Burnley take the lead after 24 minutes

Ward fires the ball past Andreas Christensen as he puts Burnley two ahead in front of a shocked Stamford Bridge crowd

Burnley's Ward (centre) celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game while Cesc Fabregas looks dejected

Vokes fires the ball passed Courtois to put the Clarets in dreamland heading into half-time against the champions

Michy Bashuayi of Chelsea walks off dejected at half-time following a disastrous start to their Premier League title defence

Burnley manager Sean Dyche shouts on the touchline as he encourages his side through a tightly-contested second half

Vokes bullied Luiz out of his rhythm and Defour and Jack Cork were superb in the centre of midfield. It was no more than they deserved when they extended their lead six minutes before half-time.

It was a peach of a goal, too. Stephen Ward played a one-two with Cork on the left side of the Chelsea area and then unleashed a stunning left-foot volley that flew beyond the despairing dive of Chelsea’s goalkeeper.

Four minutes later, things started to appear faintly surreal when Burnley went 3-0 up. This time, Defour’s cross found Vokes totally unmarked and he flicked his header past Courtois. It was another fine goal but Chelsea’s defending was shambolic.

Chelsea came close to scoring after an hour when Alonso curled a free kick over the Burnley wall but Tom Heaton tipped it acrobatically over the crossbar. The home crowd grew increasingly fractious as the clock ticked down and the goal did not come. Mr Pawson, inevitably, was singled out for abuse.

But eventually, the goal did come. There were 21 minutes left when Willian curled in a delicious ball from the right and Morata, who had only been on the pitch for 10 minutes, flung himself forwards to glance the ball into the corner of Heaton’s net.

The revival did not last long. Chelsea threatened Burnley’s goal briefly and N’Golo Kante bent a shot wide but it was hardly a siege. The momentum was lost eight minutes from time when Fabregas was sent off for a second bookable offence, a lunging foul on Cork.

Luiz still managed to set up a tense ending, firing in a fine volley after a terrific headed assist from Morata, with two minutes of normal time left, but Robbie Brady hit the post for Burnley from a free kick and an equaliser remained one step beyond the champions.

Chelsea's new record signing Alvaro Morata replaces Batshuayi after 59 minutes to make his Premier League debut 

Morata scores with his head to spark a potential comeback with what was his first Premier League goal for Chelsea

Brazilian star David Luiz loses his cool as he complains to the referee about apparent shirt-pulling from the Burnley team

The centre-back risks becoming the second Chelsea player to see red after he clashes heads with Burnley's Robbie Brady

Morata thought he had scored a second goal for Chelsea within minutes of his first but was correctly adjudged offside

Morata looks distraught after discovering his second goal in the space of as many minutes has been ruled out for offside

Referee Pawson shows Fabregas a second yellow card and a red after a poor challenge on Burnley star Jack Cork

An incredulous Fabregas is escorted off the pitch by Jon Walters following his red card in the 81st minute

Luiz gets himself into the book as he tells Pawson how to do his job as frustrations boil over at Stamford Bridge

Luiz sets up a nervy finish as he brings nine-man Chelsea back within in a single goal with just two minutes remaining

Replacement Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta shouts at his team-mates as they struggle to keep Burnley at bay