David Luiz accuses Burnley of playing 'anti-football'

Burnley left Chelsea with a 2-2 draw on Monday, but David Luiz was not impressed by its antics.

Chelsea defender David Luiz accused Burnley of playing "anti-football" in Monday's entertaining 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Burnley took an early lead through Jeff Hendrick before N'Golo Kante – who went off injured at half-time – and Gonzalo Higuain put Chelsea in front by scoring within two minutes of one another.

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Ashley Barnes equalised in the 24th minute and the visitor managed to hang on for a potentially crucial point in its battle against the drop.

Tensions boiled over towards the end, with Maurizio Sarri removed from the dugout before players and staff from both teams were involved in a melee after the final whistle.

The rowing continued down the tunnel, with Antonio Rudiger – who did not play in the match – looking particularly agitated, and David Luiz pointed the finger at Burnley's apparent gamesmanship in a post-match interview.

"We tried everything to win the game," the Brazilian told Sky Sports . "It's difficult when you play against a team who have two chances and score two goals and didn't want to play the game.

"It's anti-football. Wasting time all the time, especially when you have the ball. Their players went to the floor and stopped the game.

"They were playing 11 players inside the box. It's difficult to score against a team like that."

The draw meant Chelsea failed to move into third position in the Premier League and instead sits fourth.

Dyche dismisses accusations

Dyche rubbished David Luiz's suggestions, saying his team had already proven otherwise this season.

"Well, for a £58 million wage bill, making the most of the players to find a way to get 40 points in the Premier League, I'm pretty pleased to be fair," he said in a news conference.

REACTION | The Gaffer praises the team for their efforts after Burnley hit the 40 point mark at Chelsea.

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— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 22, 2019

 

"Twenty eight points from 16 games: you can't do that with anti-football. You have to play some football to get that many points.

"We're in a super strong position, but you work on facts. We know it's a big marker – 40 points – but we have to see it through."

The result moved Burnley nine points clear of the relegation zone with three games to play.