Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd was left astounded by Raheem Sterling’s miss in the match between Chelsea and Burnley on Saturday afternoon. The Blues were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, despite playing against 10 men for 60 minutes of the contest.
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Burnley were reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute after Lorenz Assignon was controversially adjudged to have fouled Mykhaylo Mudryk in the penalty area and thus received his second yellow card – prompting a furious response from Vincent Kompany, which saw him dismissed too.
Cole Palmer scored the resulting penalty to send Chelsea into the half-time break with the lead, but Burnley hit back through Josh Cullen in sensational style in the 47th minute. Palmer then bagged his second goal of the day in the 78th minute after a neat passing move, only for the Clarets to equalise through Dara O’Shea.
Chelsea pushed to reclaim the lead during the closing stages of the clash but were unable to make their pressure pay – with Mauricio Pochettino’s side consequently being booed off of the pitch by the home crowd.
However, there could have been a different mood at Stamford Bridge if Sterling had not squandered a clear-cut chance in the 88th minute. The England international headed wide from inside the penalty area after being picked out with a neat looping pass by Palmer.
Commentating on the match for Sky Sport, Boyd was stunned by the miss, reacting to the opportunity by exclaiming: “Oh! What a sitter! What a sitter! Oh my days. Cole Palmer, lovely ball in there, Raheem Sterling ran just off the back (of the defenders) and he just heads it past (the post). I don’t know what he’s doing.
“It’s unbelievable movement as well, uses his pace to get away there, just cushion it in the back of the net there, he tries to be too precise and just heads it past the post. What an opportunity that was.”
Sterling was understandably furious to have missed another chance for Chelsea, having come under fire from the Blues supporters on several occasions so far this season for failing to meet the mark and lead by example with goals and assists when his side have needed him most.
