LESS than two weeks after beating the reigning Premier League champions at Turf Moor Burnley gave this season’s champions-elect a battle they will remember come the end of the campaign.

When Chelsea almost inevitably lift the title in May and thoughts go back to some of the memorable occasions and contests they were involved in, this cold, snowy Sunday in East Lancashire will spring to mind.

Antonio Conte’s side have had almost everything their own way since the end of September, but they won’t be given many tougher examinations than the one they encountered at Turf Moor.

Nobody comes to these parts and expects a walk in the park now. Burnley’s home record should warn them of that, and the Blues will be accepting of a point earned in an enthralling and even contest.

The draw made it eight unbeaten at home for the Clarets and this is the toughest test of that Turf record that they will face this season.

Having seen Chelsea come out of the blocks quickly and take an early lead they showed impressive character to shrug off that disappointment and respond.

They had a moment of quality from £13million man Robbie Brady to thank for the point. The deadline day signing may not have been at his best, but he comes with a reputation for dead ball wizardry and when Burnley won a free-kick 25 yards from goal it must have been exactly how he’d dreamt it on Saturday night. A portion of that record fee has been paid back already.

In freezing conditions it was Conte’s side who set the early pace. Five minutes were on the clock when Diego Costa slipped Eden Hazard through, but his shot across goal was saved by Tom Heaton.

They made no mistake a minute later. Victor Moses found space down the right hand side and played the ball infield to Pedro, whose first touch took him beyond Michael Keane and he slotted his finish past Heaton.

Burnley responded well though. Ashley Barnes tested Thibaut Courtois from 18 yards and then just failed to get a shot away from Andre Gray’s lay off inside the area.

Barnes was heavily involved for the Clarets and he fired wide from the edge of the box after a good move involving Joey Barton and George Boyd.

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The response got the equaliser it deserved midway through the half. Courtois had been at the Super Bowl seven days ago to witness magic from a man called Brady. From Tom in Houston to Robbie at Turf Moor, the Belgian was powerless to stop the Republic of Ireland international’s sublime free-kick.

The Clarets should have gone ahead 10 minutes later. Again it was a good move, with Boyd and Barton involved before the latter’s smart pass played Matt Lowton in, but his shot was straight at Courtois.

Another golden chance came and went just after the interval. Again Barnes was involved, nicking the ball ahead of former Burnley loanee Gary Cahill, but his pass to Gray looked short until David Luiz made a mess of it, but Courtois bailed his central defender out, saving Gray’s shot.

Chelsea might be cruising the title race, but they were in a keenly contested scrap at Turf Moor and shots from distance over the bar from Cesar Azpilicueta and Hazard were their only real threat in the first two thirds of the second 45 minutes.

The league leaders were able to bring £90million worth of talent off the bench in Cesc Fabregas, Willian  and Michy Batshuayi as they looked for the winner.

But it made little difference and the Clarets remained an impenetrable rock at the back, with Keane and Ben Mee snuffing out any threat from Costa to earn Burnley the point.