Chelsea will look to build on the recent winning run when they take on Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
The dreaded international break is nearly upon us, but there is important business on the agenda in the Premier League. Gameweek 8 of the 2023/24 season will get underway with the game between Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur. The action will then continue at Turf Moor, where Burnley will host Chelsea.
Burnley would have hoped for a better start to life in the Premier League after an impressive 2022/23 campaign under Vincent Kompany. But the Clarets find themselves in the drop zone after the first three matchdays. However, they finally picked up their first win of the new season earlier this week, beating Luton Town 2-1 on Tuesday.
On the other hand, Chelsea would have been desperate to put the bad memories of 2022/23 well behind them under Mauricio Pochettino. But they have re-emerged to trouble the Blues, who have managed only two wins in seven outings thus far. Such a poor start to the new campaign has left the West London club in the bottom half of the table with eight points.
Chelsea cruised to a 4-0 win the last time they visited Burnley at Turf Moor, with Reece James, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Burnley
Vinny looks ahead to a difficult test against an 'unlucky' Chelsea side 📹 pic.twitter.com/QMSJMkXzr4
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) October 5, 2023
Vincent Kompany does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Saturday, the Burnley manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
Benson Manuel (ankle), Hjalmar Ekdal (knee), Aaron Ramsey (match fitness), Nathan Redmond (ankle), Johann Berg Gudmundsson (unspecified), and Michael Obafemi (hamstring) are in the treatment room.
James Trafford has become the first-choice goalkeeper since joining Burnley from Manchester City this past summer. The home side will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Connor Roberts, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Jordan Beyer, and Charlie Taylor lining up in the defensive unit.
Sander Berge has blown hot and cold since arriving from Sheffield United. But the Norwegian midfielder remains a vital cog in the middle of the park for Burnley. Berge will join Josh Cullen and Josh Brownhill in the middle of the park.
As for the offensive unit, Lyle Foster’s return has served Burnley well. The South African striker has been directly involved in four of Burnley’s six Premier League goals this season, scoring three and setting up another. He will spearhead the attack against Chelsea, with Luca Koleosho and Zeki Amdouni completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Trafford; Roberts, Al-Dakhil, Beyer, Taylor; Berge, Cullen, Brownhill; Koleosho, Foster, Amdouni
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Burnley dugout, Mauricio Pochettino has a plethora of issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. The Chelsea manager might be without over a dozen first-team players on Saturday.
Malo Gusto continues to serve a suspension after seeing red against Aston Villa. The Frenchman accompanies Wesley Fofana (knee), Ben Chilwell (hamstring), Romeo Lavia (ankle), and Christopher Nkunku (knee) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Marcus Bettinelli (knee), Benoit Badiashile (thigh), Reece James (hamstring), Carney Chukwuemeka (knee), Moises Caicedo (hamstring), and Mykhailo Mudryk (thigh) face a race against time to be fit and available to take on Burnley.
A sight to behold! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/AjYLChUFgV
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 5, 2023
But there is some good news, with Nicolas Jackson available after serving his suspension last week. The Senegalese international will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Burnley, with Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer joining him in the final third.
Robert Sanchez will take his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him. Marc Cucurella played as a makeshift right-back in the absence of James and Gusto. The Spaniard should retain his place on the right flank, joining Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, and Levi Colwill in the backline.
Finally, the midfield unit should feature Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Conor Gallagher. The trio will look to provide the forward thrust from the middle of the park, linking the defence with the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sanchez; Cucurella, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Fernandez, Gallagher; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling
Key Stats
- Burnley’s solitary win in 16 Premier League matches against Chelsea was 3-2 away in August 2017, when the Blues were reigning champions (D4 L11). Chelsea’s record at Turf Moor reads W7 D1. No team has played more Premier League away games against the same opponent without losing.
- Chelsea have won just two of their past 26 league matches when conceding, keeping clean sheets in both victories this season. They are looking to win consecutive Premier League games for the first time since March, while they last registered back-to-back away league victories a year ago.
- Chelsea have kept clean sheets in three of their last five league games after a run of conceding in 11 consecutive matches.
- Mauricio Pochettino has won 85.4% of his Premier League fixtures against promoted sides (35 of 41), the highest ratio of any manager to take charge of at least ten such matches. The Argentine tactician was undefeated in his first 10 meetings as a manager with Burnley before losing his most recent encounter while in charge of Tottenham at Turf Moor in 2019.
- Raheem Sterling has scored 14 goals and assisted four in his last 17 Premier League outings against promoted sides. The Englishman can become the first player to score a Premier League goal against Burnley for three clubs. He has already netted a top-flight goal versus the Clarets for Liverpool and Manchester City.
Player to Watch
Moises Caicedo
Moises Caicedo has not had it easy since joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer transfer window. The Ecuadorian international has blown hot and cold, with the troll army coming out in full force to celebrate his struggles.
But Caicedo has stepped up his performance levels in the last two games. That it has come along with Chelsea’s two victories is no coincidence. So, Mauricio Pochettino will be eager to see the 21-year-old remaining in form to add steel to Chelsea’s midfield while pushing them forward with purpose.
Prediction
Burnley 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea might have bounced back to form with back-to-back victories. But their goalscoring issues might not disappear as quickly as they would like. In addition, Burnley will defend with men behind the ball while looking to string quick passes without going long.
That will keep the Chelsea players on their toes while frustrating the attackers for much of the game. In the end, a closely-contested fixture will likely end in a stalemate. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on Saturday.
