Chelsea: Jose Mourinho praises 'maestro' Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas was called a "maestro" by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho after he set up two goals in 3-1 win at Burnley.

their Premier League season-opening

The 27-year-old former Arsenal midfielder joined Chelsea for £27m from Barcelona in June.

"I agree completely with Cesc as man of the match," said Mourinho, whose side moved straight to the top the table. 

"He controlled the tempo of the game and was responsible for the best phase of our play."

Mourinho's side, many people's favourites to win the title, outclassed their newly-promoted hosts, despite conceding the lead.

Clarets midfielder Scott Arfield beat Thibaut Courtois, starting in goal instead of long-time Blues first-choice keeper Petr Cech, with the game's first shot on target.

But debutant Diego Costa, a £32m summer purchase from Atletico Madrid, quickly equalised with his first Premier League goal.

Fabregas set up Andre Schurrle for Chelsea's second with a sublime first-time pass, and the former Arsenal player was also involved in the third, taking charge of the corner which led to Branislav Ivanovic's strike.

"I hope he has more of that," said Mourinho of the Spain international's pass to Schurrle. "We know he's capable. 

"More important than the pass was the control he had with the game, the understanding he had with Nemanja Matic which brings our team to a different dimension in the quality of football that we play.

"He makes the right decisions, the right intensity of the game and he brings other people in the right direction. I am really happy with him."

Chelsea captain John Terry also praised Fabregas.

"Some of the movement and play for the goals was different class, and Cesc was probably pick of the bunch for Schurrle's goal," he said. 

Mourinho, meanwhile, believed his team should have been awarded a penalty when Costa went down after home goalkeeper Tom Heaton caught his trailing leg.

Instead, the Spain striker was booked, a decision the manager described as "unfair", adding "it wasn't simulation but a clear penalty".

Burnley manager Sean Dyche said the Premier League new boys would learn from the defeat.

"We have to keep going, and we did in the second half. We continued to press and tried to break them down," he said.

"That's against a team who are at the top end of the business. We have to be realistic, not defeatist.

"Our journey is slightly different from Chelsea's. It's not about trying to get that game out the way. We enjoyed it, but we don't enjoy losing." 

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Luis Suarez: Barcelona striker says he won't bite in future

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez says he has talked to specialists about his behaviour and insists there

will be no further biting incidents.

Suarez is serving a four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup - his third biting offence.

"I say to fans, don't worry, because I won't do that anymore," he promised.

"I spoke to my psychologist and he said I had to face it and say sorry. I did - now I would rather focus on the present, which is Barcelona." 

Luis Suarez controversies
June 2014: Banned for four months from any football-related activity, plus nine international matches, for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini
April 2013: Apologises for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and receives a 10-game ban
Dec 2011: Given eight-match suspension and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra
Nov 2010: Given seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder while playing for Ajax

The 27-year-old Uruguay striker, who said he was "really depressed" after the incident in Brazil, launched an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ban.

Following the verdict, the former Liverpool striker is still banned from playing in competitive fixtures until late October and must also serve the remaining eight games of his nine-match international ban.

But Suarez is no longer excluded from "all football-related activities", which allowed him to make his Barcelona debut as a 75th-minute substitute in the 6-0 friendly victory over Mexican side Club Leon on Monday.

Addressing a media conference on Tuesday, he said of his behavioural issues: "I am speaking to professionals - the right professionals. But it is a private matter and I don't want to comment further on that." 

Suarez spent three years with Liverpool, during which he was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra and suspended for a further 10 matches for biting Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea.

Last month, he joined Barcelona for a reported fee of £75m but the Catalan club's vice president Jordi Mestre said on Tuesday the actual amount was significantly less.

"Negotiations started before the World Cup and we worked hard to come to a final figure of £65m. We were originally quoted over €90m (£72m).

"He had much better offers than ours financially but he wanted to come to Barcelona. He made a great effort - financially and personally - to be here."

Suarez admitted he feared for his career after the incident with Chiellini in Uruguay's 1-0 win in Natal on 24 June.

"Of course I was concerned - not just about the transfer to Barcelona but more for me as a person. But, as I've said, that's in the past now and I'm trying to concentrate on Barcelona," he said.

"Everything that happens in the past, that needs to be forgotten. If I start thinking about everything I've gone through, I wouldn't be able to sleep." 

From BBCSPORTS