Burnley manager Sean Dyche hailed Robbie Brady’s superb free-kick against Chelsea on Saturday, after the winger’s strike helped earn the Clarets a point against the Premier League leaders.

The club record signing from Norwich City hauled his side level from a 24th-minute set-piece, which arched up and around Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, after Pedro gave the visitors an early lead.

Both Brady and fellow January recruit Ashley Westwood made their full Burnley debuts against Antonio Conte’s side, and the pair impressed in midfield throughout, with the former’s goal earning special praise from the Clarets boss.

Speaking to the media post-match, Dyche lauded Brady’s ‘sublime finish,’ which was ‘the toughest bit of technical ability, but he delivered it with aplomb.’

Dyche also admitted Brady’s leveller ‘could be argued to be the hardest of the chances we created,’ as the Turf Moor chief felt his side ‘had certainly three good chances against a top side.’

Brady and Westwood looked comfortable in their new surroundings, and while the Clarets’ goalscorer was withdrawn just after the hour mark, Westwood played the entirety of the game as he impressed alongside Joey Barton in midfield.

And Dyche was forthcoming with his appraisal of his latest signings, noting that, for the pair ‘to come into that game wasn’t easy, but I thought they both handled themselves fantastically well,’ and, on Brady’s substitution, added that ‘there are other parts of Robbie’s game that he will need to adapt to us.’

'I was so pleased with the mentality'

Burnley fans perhaps feared the worst when Chelsea forward Pedro put his side in front with just seven minutes gone, when he took Victor Moses’ pass in his stride and fired low past Tom Heaton.

But that goal seemed to stir the hosts, and Dyche was equally as effusive with his praise for Burnley’s comeback as he was with his two full debutants.

The Clarets’ gaffer believed ‘we had good moments ourselves, and certainly ruffled a few feathers, and made them think it could be an awkward one.’

On his side’s response, Dyche said ‘there was no disappointment following their goal; sometimes things happen early in matches and you have to react,’ and insisted he was ‘so pleased with the mentality to stick to and believe in what we do, and deliver the performance we did.’

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