Chelsea will hope to return to the top half of the Premier League table when they host Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The dreaded international is over, and it is all systems go until the end of the 2023/24 season. The Premier League campaign continues with Gameweek 30, which gets underway with the match between Newcastle United and West Ham United. The action then continues with five simultaneous games, one of which will have Chelsea and Burnley facing off at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea would have hoped to at least compete for a top-six finish after appointing Mauricio Pochettino as the new manager. But the Argentine tactician has failed to galvanise the squad, with the West London club still struggling in the mid-table positions. However, they have recently shown signs of improvement after going into the international break on the back of a four-game unbeaten run.
As for Burnley, they are running out of time to retain their status as a Premier League club. But the Clarets will feel they boosted their prospects heading into the international break after going unbeaten in two successive games. That has closed the gap to 17th-placed Luton Town to five points.
The reverse fixture saw Chelsea coming from a goal down to beat Burnley to a 4-1 win after Wilson Odobert opened the scoring. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Burnley on Saturday, the Chelsea manager might be bereft of the services of 12 first-team players.
The Argentine tactician has been sweating over the fitness of Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, and Cole Palmer. But the trio should be available to take on Burnley on Saturday. Meanwhile, Malo Gusto has recovered from an illness and will feature in the starting eleven.
However, Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah, and Carney Chukwuemeka have picked up knocks and will be unavailable. The trio has joined Reece James (hamstring), Levi Colwill (toe), Wesley Fofana (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh), Lesley Ugochukwu (muscle injury), and Christopher Nkunku (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Djordje Petrovic is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Burnley. The backline should feature Gusto, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, and Chiwell.
As for the midfield unit, the returning Fernandez should line up alongside Moises Caicedo in the double pivot. Conor Gallagher will reprise his usual no. 10 role, with Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling being the two wide attackers. Finally, Nicolas Jackson should lead the line for Chelsea against Burnley.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Burnley
Unlike his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Vincent Kompany does not have any new issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Burnley manager will be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Jordan Beyer (knee) and Ameen Al-Dakhil (knock) are closing in on returning to action. But Saturday’s game might have come too soon for the duo. Meanwhile, David Datro Fofana is ineligible to face his parent club, while Aaron Ramsey (knee), Nathan Redmond (hamstring), and Luca Koleosho (knee) remain on the sidelines.
Burnley will line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Chelsea, with James Trafford taking his usual spot between the sticks. Dara O’Shea and Maxime Esteve should be the two centre-backs, with Lorenz Assignon and Charlie Taylor being the two full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Josh Cullen will likely pair up with Sander Berge in the middle of the park. The duo will look to keep things tight while linking the defence with the attack. Jacob Bruun Larsen and Vitinho should be the two wide midfielders, with Wilson Odobert and Lyle Foster being the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Assignon, O’Shea, Esteve, Taylor; Vitinho, Cullen, Berge, Larsen; Odobert, Foster
Key Stats
- Chelsea’s only defeat in their 17 Premier League games against Burnley came at Stamford Bridge in August 2017 (W12 D4). The Blues have scored in all 17 of those encounters, their best goalscoring run against one team.
- Chelsea have won five of their last six home league fixtures, one more than they had managed in their previous 22. On Saturday, they can score in 12 consecutive league games for the first time since 2019.
- Burnley have taken four points from their last two league outings, the first time this term they have gone unbeaten in consecutive games. The Clarets have lost all nine league away fixtures in which they have fallen behind.
- Chelsea need one more league win to eclipse last season’s final total of 11.
- Cole Palmer has been directly involved in 19 goals in 19 Premier League starts this term, scoring 11 times and registering eight assists. The Englishman has scored in his last five starts for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Player to Watch
Raheem Sterling
Speculation has been ramping up around Raheem Sterling and his Chelsea future. Fans have voiced their displeasure at the English international’s sub-par performances this season. In addition, recent reports have suggested that the Blues are contemplating parting ways with him in the summer transfer window.
Sterling’s record this term is not poor by any means. But he can do better to inspire a young unit and push Chelsea up the standings. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old is happy and content at Chelsea amid the rumours surrounding his future. However, he needs to raise the bar to convince the decision-makers to keep hold of him.
Prediction
Chelsea 3-1 Burnley
Burnley will feel Saturday’s game against Chelsea will give them the opportunity to spring a surprise despite the home side’s recent unbeaten run. The Clarets showed positive signs heading into the international break and will fancy their prospects of producing a shock result.
However, Saturday’s match should follow a similar pattern to the reverse fixture. While Burnley will take the game to Chelsea, the hosts will continue from where they left off ahead of the international break. Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling will deliver the goods, earning Mauricio Pochettino and his charges a 3-1 win.
