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In-form Chelsea head to Southampton on Sunday, looking to continue their impressive winning run. The Blues won here last season, but can they boost their push for the top four with another victory at St Mary’s? This will be another significant test of the new system, which has helped send the team on a fantastic run of form.

Southampton finished sixth in the Premier League last season, qualifying for Europe in the process. They may have had another turbulent summer, but recent weeks have seen them turn their fortunes around and start to move up the table. This stadium is a tough place for any side to travel to, so Antonio Conte and co can’t expect an easy ride of things on the South Coast.

Team News: Conte unlikely to rock the boat

Conte isn’t likely to make too many changes after three straight wins. He named the same team for the last two league games, and he made one enforced change between the victories over Hull and Leicester. His switch to three at the back has seen a marked improvement across the side, although there doesn’t seem to be a place for John Terry in that system. So far, he’s been kept out of the team by Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and David Luiz.

We said that the United game would tell us a little more about Conte’s centre-back pecking order. He’s made a statement there; leaving John Terry out is a sign that he isn’t an automatic pick for the big games. Terry faces even more competition in the coming weeks, with Kurt Zouma returning from injury and fighting for a place. The Frenchman just returned to action with the development squad, he played for them in midweek. Once he gets enough minutes, expect him to be fighting for a starting berth. The only realistic switch for this game is the return of Willian, but that would even be a little harsh on Pedro, who has put in two strong performances.

Southampton are missing forward Shane Long, while midfielder Jeremy Pied is also out. The Saints have former Blue Ryan Bertrand back in the side, but their defence has been hit by injuries. Cedric Soares, Matt Targett and Florin Gardos are all expected to miss out. Could that open up their tight defence for the visit of Chelsea? It’s good news for Diego Costa, who is currently the league’s top scorer.

Southampton Form

Southampton made a stuttering start to the season, but they’ve really picked up in recent weeks. They claimed a 1-1 draw at Manchester City last weekend, and they’ve won four straight matches at St Mary’s. Those victories have lifted them up to eighth. They’re having a mixed season in the Europa League, but they did completely dominate Inter Milan at the San Siro last week. They may have lost 1-0 away to the Serie A side, but they showed their class by controlling that game.

The Saints had put together a strong defensive record to lift them out of trouble. They had put together a run of six consecutive clean sheets, before conceding in three consecutive games in a week. Shipping a goal away at the Etihad and San Siro isn’t that bad, while they conceded against Burnley in a 3-1 victory. Cluade Puel’s side are a solid unit, and they are building on top of that, with striker Charlie Austin in fantastic scoring form. Can he be the latest to expose Cahill and Luiz’s flaws at the back, or will they keep the former QPR man quiet here?

Chelsea v Southampton Head to Head

The two meetings between these sides last season saw away victories in each, with the game at Stamford Bridge resulting in a 3-1 win for the Saints. That was during the troubled early season under Jose Mourinho, before Guus Hiddink led them to a 2-1 win at St Mary’s in February. Recent meetings have been fairly level, with the Saints becoming an established top eight side in the top flight in recent years. We can see another close encounter when they clash this weekend.

• Southampton 1-2 Chelsea, 27th Feb 2016
• Chelsea 1-3 Southampton, 3rd Oct 2015
• Chelsea 1-1 Southampton, 15th Mar 2015
• Southampton 1-1 Chelsea, 28th Dec 2014
• Southampton 0-3 Chelsea, 1st Jan 2014

Betting Tips

• Draw – 12/5 with BetVictor
• 1-1 Draw – 6/1 with Bet365

The Blues come into this one in an impressive run of form, but this is a very difficult place for any side to go. Southampton have really improved after a few dodgy results early on, but they have a strong foundation that they always seem to find after a big summer of losing stars. The Blues haven’t yet ventured too far with their new set up. They did win at Hull, but recent results have shown that’s not really an achievement.

The Hull game actually highlighted a few problems with the system, as those first 45 minutes were really tough for the Blues. It’s easy to see another away trip causing them problems, especially against a side who will be among the top eight once again this term. There are quite a few talented players still at St Mary’s, and we think they’re good enough to hold Chelsea to a draw on Sunday. It’s 12/5 with BetVictor for these two to share the points.

This fixture has always tended to have goals, and we can’t see this game being any different. Given how the Saints are looking a little light at the back, but strong in attack, it’s hard to see there being a clean sheet here. If you look back on the last five meetings, there’s only been one clean sheet. We’re backing a score draw when these two clash. A 1-1 final score is our second tip, it’s a 6/1 shot with Bet365. We’ve seen that scoreline twice in the last four meetings between these two and it looks the option to back.

West Ham host Chelsea on Wednesday evening in what is very likely to be a hard-fought EFL Cup encounter at London Stadium. The club will be hoping for the battles to stay on the pitch of course, and an alcohol ban and a “robust policing plan” have been put in place to ensure things don’t get too nasty between the fans.

Here though we’ll focus on the game itself and it could be a real cracker. With both managers supremely eager to bring some silverware to their respective clubs, we fancy both will opt for strong teams in this one. After Chelsea’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Man United, will they kick on in style against the Hammers, or will the home side build on their back-to-back 1-0 league victories?

Team News: Terry Set to Warm Bench Again

It seems that John Terry is far from an automatic selection for Chelsea these days, especially after Chelsea kept a clean sheet against Man United on Sunday while he looked on from the bench. We expect him to start as sub once again, with the trio of Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill set to play. Kurt Zouma is on the way back from injury and might feature on the bench.

For West Ham, Slaven Bilic is likely to stick with the crux of the side which earned a 1-0 victory over Sunderland last time out. There are no fresh injury worries to contend with (obviously Andy Carroll is still absent!) so it will be simply a matter of whether or not Bilic feels he should shuffle his pack for this one.

West Ham Form

Prior to their win over the Black Cats on Saturday, West Ham had earned only four points from four home league matches this season. In fact, since their campaign started prematurely way back in July in the Europa League, the Hammers have won just five of their 14 games in all competitions.

Things might be starting to turn around a little for Bilic and his men. After an appalling run of four straight defeats in August/September, West Ham have won three and drawn one from five matches. Having just put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season, the Irons will go into this game in confident mood. Whether or not that confidence proves to be misplaced remains to be seen, of course.

West Ham v Chelsea Head to Head

All the meetings between these sides in recent years have been in the Premier League, with the last being on the opening day of the current season. While Chelsea have had the upper hand on the whole, the Hammers have held their own on a number of occasions, and it has rarely been a walkover.

• Chelsea 2-1 West Ham, Aug 2016
• Chelsea 2-2 West Ham, Mar 2016
• West Ham 2-1 Chelsea, Oct 2015
• West Ham 0-1 Chelsea, Mar 2015
• Chelsea 2-0 West Ham, Dec 2014

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win to nil – 23/10 at Coral
• Eden Hazard to score first – 6/1 at BetVictor

Chelsea are the odds-on favourites to win this one, with Bet365 and others pricing them at 4/5. The draw is out at 3/1 with BetVictor while the home side can be backed at 19/5 with Betfred. Looking purely at the match result odds, there will be a fair few punters out there who see backing the home side as the best value option. We would agree if this match had taken place after Chelsea’s winless (in normal time) September, but we think they’ve turned a corner since.

Chelsea looked ruthless and determined when facing their old boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday and put Man United to the sword, winning 4-0. That result comes on the back of two other victories – 2-0 away against Hull and 3-0 at home against Leicester. If Antonio Conte has now found the formula that combines a solid defence and a decent attacking threat, the Blues could cruise to the win here against a West Ham side who have been somewhat inconsistent to say the least this season. As such, backing Chelsea to win the match without conceding – as they have done four times this term – could be worth a look at odds of 23/10 with Coral.

Conte’s 3-5-2 formation looks not only to be making the defence harder to penetrate, but it is also starting to give Eden Hazard the chance to shine once more. He scored against Man United – his fourth league goal of the current campaign – and the Belgian might well be afforded enough space to make an impact in this one. He is priced at best odds of 6/1 with BetVictor to get the opening goal of the game, and we think that is a price worth grabbing.

West Ham’s best hope of success in this one is to keep things as tight as possible for as long as possible. If Chelsea start with the vim and vigour they showed in the early stages against the Red Devils, this might prove a very difficult task for the home side. But if Bilic sends his troops out with a defensive mindset there is a fair chance they will make it to half time without conceding. Backing the draw at half time, or even the half time correct score of 0-0, are both options that hold some appeal at respective odds of 7/5 and 12/5, both with Bet365.

Of course, an early goal for the visitors could open the floodgates, as it did against United at Stamford Bridge, but on balance we think this one will turn out to be a narrow victory for Chelsea. Correct score bets are notoriously difficult to land but backing Chelsea to win and under 2.5 goals to be scored could be a decent option at 19/5 with Coral.

This weekend sees Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge, but it’s also a huge test for Antonio Conte. Having lost their two big games this season, how will his side get on against Manchester United? We expect another 3-4-3 formation, and this will be a huge test for the Blues’ new set up.

Of course, you’ll hear little about this game without Mourinho’s name being mentioned. Just 10 months on from his second sacking, the Portuguese takes Manchester United back to Stamford Bridge. Conte has already asked the fans to respect the returning manager, but you can bet there will be many who aren’t pleased with his move to Old Trafford.

Outside of that, there are some talking points in this game. Manchester United’s mixed start to the season sees them way off where they expected to be. They were tipped as title challengers, but they find themselves well off the pace in that regard. Having drawn 0-0 at Liverpool earlier this week, they can’t afford to slip up at the Bridge.

There are already plenty of sides who are ahead of these two in the title race. Gone are the days where the Premier League title was a straight fight between the Blues and the Red Devils. The way Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham have started, these two teams face a tough road just to get into the top four.

While this fixture isn’t the title decider it once was, it could define Conte’s time here. He can’t afford to lose a third huge game in just over a month. Since defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal, the Italian has made the switch to a 3-4-3 formation. That’s worked so far, but will it survive the scrutiny of Mourinho’s United?

The Red Devils aren’t a typical Mourinho team, he can’t really mould them as challenges come and go. He’s basically stuck with what he’s got, They’ve got a similar approach and set up for each game. We can’t see him doing too much differently to counter the Blues.

You’d imagine Victor Moses will have a point to prove here. Mourinho dispensed with him as soon as he arrived at the club in 2013. The Nigerian spent every season on loan when the manager was here, but recent games have seen him thrive in a right wing back role. He’ll be aiming to maintain the strong form he’s shown in the last two games.

One thing we could see here is the return of Kurt Zouma. The central defender picked up an injury in this fixture back in February. He’s closing in on a return, and he could appear here. The Frenchman has a lot of competition, with Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill starting ahead of John Terry last time out.

The Blues need a big display here to erase the awful performances they put in against Liverpool and Arsenal. We should know more about the formation change once this one gets going, and we’ll get a clearer picture of Conte’s pecking order at centre-half.

LCN verdict: 1-1 draw

With the international break over, Chelsea are back in Premier League action this weekend. They kick off the weekend in Saturday’s early game. Champions Leicester are the visitors to Stamford Bridge, can Antonio Conte’s men avoid going 2-0 down to the Foxes this time around? Hopefully the return of John Terry can stop that from happening again.

The Blues are seventh in the table after their win at Hull last time out. They’re just three points off fourth spot, and five behind leaders Manchester City. There’s also a five point gap between Conte’s side and Leicester, who are back in 12th. Their title defence is going about as well as Chelsea’s last term. Will their poor run continue here?

Leicester’s recent away games in the league have seen them lose heavily to both Liverpool and Manchester United. They are hardly going to be that confident heading to Stamford Bridge. What makes this trip even tougher is that Terry is finally back. But that fact might actually leave Conte with a few problems ahead of this clash.

The win over Hull saw the Blues line up in a 3-5-2 formation, a switch which they first used away to Arsenal the week before. The change worked well in the end, as the Tigers were comfortably beaten, despite some teething problems in the first half. However, that’s not a formation that Terry can slot into.

The centre-half likes to half a left-back close to him to cover any balls which get past him. Playing him beside a wing-back leaves him exposed, and can force the captain to take up a makeshift left-back role at times. That’s not something which would suit him, and it may actually cause more problems for the defence.

It’s pretty interesting that this fixture back in May was set to be Terry’s Stamford Bridge farewell. He ended up getting suspended for the match, and his contract was eventually renewed. Now he makes a return in the same fixture, with recent weeks proving just how valuable the captain is, even in his mid-thirties.

Basically, Conte has to either switch back to the back four, or leave Terry out completely. The coach also could have another option at the back, as Kurt Zouma is nearing a return. He’ll be back for selection next weekend at the latest, but he could feature here. The Frenchman has been missing since February, his return has been long awaited.

We trust the former Italy coach to make the most of his choices at the back. We’re backing the Blues to keep a clean sheet here, and record back to back victories. With a tough few weeks ahead, Conte could really do with three points on the board. They really can’t afford to fall much further off the pace in the race for the top four.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

After three league games without a win, Chelsea really need to gain three points at the KCOM Stadium. The players have had a week to reflect on their dismantling by Arsenal, but will they improve here? Antonio Conte has no doubt been drilling them defensively, so they’ve got to up their game at the back against the Tigers.

Hull have lost their last two games by a pretty heavy margin, which has seen them tumble down the table. After Arsenal beat them 4-1, they went to Anfield and lost 5-1. They still haven’t appointed a permanent manager, with Mike Phelan in caretaker charge so far. They have a very thin squad which doesn’t look up to it at this level, so this is a great opportunity for the Blues.

However, recent games have seen Conte’s men struggle. David Luiz and Gary Cahill were torn apart by Arsenal’s attack last week. The Blues have been given a boost with John Terry expected to return. Kurt Zouma isn’t too far away either, he could return in two to three weeks. That should lead to an improvement at the back, with more leadership and some competition for places.

Last weekend saw a move to 3-5-2 for Chelsea late in the game. Their issues seemed to be fixed by that tweak, but it’s unlikely we’ll see that formation in from the start here. While the switch seemed to give the Blues more options on the ball, it’s not one that John Terry can really play in.

Playing with wing backs leaves Terry exposed, as there’s no full back to his left. He’d also have a rampaging David Luiz to his left, which would leave him even more exposed. Conte isn’t going to leave the captain out after his return, and he won’t play in a fashion that makes the defender vulnerable. A return to the usual 4-1-4-1 is likely.

Despite back to back defeats, we probably won’t see too many changes from Conte. With neither Oscar or Cesc Fabregas really impressing in the league, he could slot Michy Batshuayi in and switch to his 4-2-4 formation. That does seem like a risky move given how poorly they’ve been at the back.

Despite Hull’s struggles, they need to be taken seriously. Their spirit led them to six points from their opening two games. While they were hammered in their last two league games, they’re facing very different opposition. Plus, the Blues struggled here two years ago on their way to the title. They had to work for a 3-2 victory.

If the Blues can remain focused, this is a great chance for them to take a much needed win. Terry’s return should make a big difference, and the Tigers aren’t packed with goals. If Conte figures out a way to keep Robert Snodgrass quiet, they’d struggle. We’re backing the Blues to edge this one, as they recover from their recent rough patch.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea were leapfrogged by Arsenal last weekend, can they get their noses back in front with victory at the Emirates? There was little for the Blues to celebrate last term, but their double over Arsenal was a rare highlight. Even when they’re finishing 10th, they’re still recording wins over the Gunners. Can Conte’s side continue that tradition this weekend?

The Gunners know exactly how Chelsea were feeling last weekend. Liverpool won at the Emirates this season too, a 4-3 victory on the opening day. It’s hard to say which of the two defended worse against the Reds. Jurgen Klopp’s men are perfectly set up for big away games, this weekend’s fixture will be more to the liking of both of these teams, and the two coaches.

Conte against Wenger could be a fantastic battle. The two are very different in their styles on the touchline, it’s one of the many big managerial battles in the top flight this season. There’s a similar contrast to their styles as there was between Wenger and Jose Mourinho. Will there be the same kind of friction?

It’s likely to be a hard fought game, especially as Arsenal are back in form. The Gunners won 4-1 at Hull last weekend, as they recorded a third straight league win. While they’re getting points, they still look far too open when ahead. They were 2-0 up against 10 men at the KCOM in their last game, but they still let the Tigers back in the game with some poor defending. That said, they did keep a clean sheet in midweek in the EFL Cup, winning 4-0 at Forest.

You feel like the Blues have a chance here though, especially with Diego Costa playing well. However, they’ll have to deal with the heavy legs after extra time from Tuesday’s game. A pretty strong side started the clash at Leicester, while the rested stars ended up coming off the bench.

The Gunners had a much easier night in midweek and weren’t tested in that 4-0 success at Nottingham Forest. However, that’s probably balanced out by their extra Champions League commitments. Given how open the two sides have been lately, there’s a worry (not for the neutrals!) that this could be a crazy goalfest.

The likely return of John Terry should cancel that out. Having missed the last two matches, the captain is set to return here. While he was set to be a bit part player this term, recent shambolic defensive displays have highlighted his importance. In a crucial game like this, Terry will be needed.

The Blues are going through a pretty tough run at the minute, and this will probably be their biggest test. The Gunners come in with confidence, although they lack the grit to carve out a win. The Blues haven’t exactly been flying, they’ve toiled in their last couple of games. It’s hard to call this one, but a point here wouldn’t be a bad result for the Blues.

LCN Verdict: 1-1 draw

Chelsea have been handed a tough game in the EFL Cup Third Round, as they travel to Leicester. While the Premier League champions haven’t made the best of starts, they’re still dangerous opposition. Jose Mourinho lost his job after a 2-1 defeat here in December, can Antonio Conte fare any better?

Given the lack of European football this term, the cups carry even more importance. With only a handful of midweek games this year, there’s not really much excuse for heavy rotation in cup matches. The squad should be fresh enough to seriously compete on three fronts, especially given how short the League and FA Cup overlap is.

The disastrous season the club experienced last term should push the players on for silverware. The league will be the main aim, but there’s no reason for the Blues to shy away from cup games. A tie away to the Premier League champions makes this cup campaign even more interesting.

The Foxes will be focusing on cups this year, given their poor league start. Any slight hopes of repeating their incredible success last year have gone. Four points from their first four sees them eight points off the pace already. Their 4-1 defeat at Liverpool shows how much work they have to do. Their brilliant defence from last season has fallen apart.

Of course, Chelsea need to take some of the blame for Leicester’s woes. The signing of N’Golo Kante was fantastic business, but it was a hammer blow for the Foxes. The midfielder does the work of two holding players, he’s very difficult to replace. Things were always going to be difficult for Claudio Ranieri after the Frenchman departed the King Power.

Kante will have his work cut out for him on Tuesday, and not just from Leicester’s attackers. The holding midfielder will be covering for David Luiz, with the Brazilian prone to bursting out of defence. John Terry’s injury looks to keep him out for this one, although he probably would have been rested anyway.

Even though the Blues could name a strong side here, we’re expecting to see a few changes. Marcos Alonso could be in line for a start. The Bristol Rovers game in the Second Round saw quite a few changes, with Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa rested. We could see Michy Batshuayi and Victor Moses given starts here, after they stepped up for the star names.

This will be an interesting examination of Conte’s ambitions. Will he name his strongest side and push for a cup, or rest stars and focus on the league? We’re hoping for a happy medium, but that’s rarely something you get with Chelsea. Expect a good game, given how both have been scoring regularly so far this season. Hopefully the new manager forces his team to go for this one, as the EFL Cup is a winnable trophy for his team.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea are back in Premier League action early this “weekend”, as they take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Friday night. The Blues dropped two points in their last game, but can they get back to winning ways? They’ll have to be careful here, as the Reds have shown they are capable of raising their game when they come face to face with the bigger sides in the division.

Blues fans will remember this fixture last season, when Jose Mourinho’s side were beaten 3-1. They had a 1-0 lead, but they sat back on it a little too much and were ultimately punished for it. If there’s any positives to take from the Swansea result, it’s that the same won’t happen this time around.

While Antonio Conte’s men did blow a lead against Swansea, it wasn’t through being too defensive. They didn’t take their chances to make it 2-0, and that is what cost them. Given that they have one of the best attacking records in the league, they shouldn’t worry too much about their scoring rate. Keep playing that well and the results will come.

Liverpool have shown flashes of brilliance under Jurgen Klopp this term – and in general – but that’s been their problem for a while now. They were good enough to go to City and win 4-1 last November, but they’ve struggled for consistency. A 4-1 win over Leicester last weekend showed what they’re capable of, but they also lost 2-0 at Burnley this season.

The Reds seem to perform better against better sides, when games are more even. They thrive when counter-attacking, but struggle with possession. They were completely dominant at Turf Moor, with over 80% of the ball, but they couldn’t find a way to score. Expect them to be better when they head to Stamford Bridge.

While Conte was expected to bring Italian defending, so far his side have recorded just one clean sheet. Their backline has been wildly open in the early games. That may change now the boss has more bodies to choose from in defence, but it’s hard to see David Luiz and Marcos Alonso making things any more solid than the current back four.

The Blues will have to guard against the counter, so expect Nemanja Matic to play slightly deeper this time around. He and N’Golo Kante will be key for the Blues here. Oscar will also have to put a shift in alongside those two in central midfield. The defence will need protection, but it may also need a few changes.

John Terry limped out of the Liberty Stadium, and he could miss this game given the tight turnaround. The Blues may have needed a change any way, given the pace of Sadio Mane and co. Luiz will need to keep his head if he does play, as the high Liverpool press could cause him problems.

This could be a pretty tough clash, the Reds are used to digging in for these bigger games. The Blues will have to do a lot to stop the attacking talent in Klopp’s side. They may have to sit a little deeper in this one, and because of that we’re backing a 1-1 draw.

LCN Verdict: 1-1 Draw

Could David Luiz make his second Chelsea debut this weekend? The Blues are away to Swansea as they return to Premier League action. It’s been 10 days since Luiz returned just ahead of the transfer deadline. Given the £30million plus price tag, you’d expect the Brazilian to be an automatic starter at the heart of the defence.

Swansea had a much quieter transfer window, they failed to replace captain Ashley Williams. The Welsh side rallied last term to reach safety, but they look set to struggle this year. Having sold star attacker Andre Ayew to West Ham, they’ve replaced him with middling talent from La Liga. The Swans have more than a few concerns at the minute, despite their opening day win at Burnley.

The Blues lost at the Liberty Stadium back in April though. Guus Hiddink’s side went down to a 1-0 defeat, thanks to a strike from Gylfi Sigurdsson. However, this hasn’t been a bad hunting ground for Chelsea. They won 5-0 here in January 2015 and 1-0 in April 2014. In fact, the loss earlier this year was the first they’ve suffered at this ground. Can they avoid another?

Antonio Conte has helped guide his team to a fantastic start. They’ve kept pace with the two Manchester clubs after winning every game so far. With the Manchester derby taking place on Saturday, this is a real chance for the 2014 champions to set out their title credentials. It would be a big leap from 10th last year, but after a near £120million transfer splurge it has to be a possibility.

Luiz should slot in at centre-half here, the usual back four probably needs a change. Marcos Alonso’s role in the side is a little less clear. He’ll either be benched as a reserve left-back, or he could start in place of Branislav Ivanovic. That would leave Cesar Azpilicueta free to switch back to the right hand side.

There are no injury problems, but one doubt for the game is Willian. He faces a World Cup qualifier for Brazil in the early hours of Wednesday morning. By the time he makes his way back from South America he might not be in shape to start in Wales. His compatriots Luiz and Oscar haven’t made the Brazil squad for that clash.

Conte isn’t likely to make drastic changes after the international break. He’s probably going to look to include many of the team who beat Burnley. From what the Swans have shown in preseason and in the early games, this shouldn’t be a difficult clash. Having lost key members of their team, you can see the Welsh side having a tough season ahead.

We can’t see past an away win here, given the Blues’ form. They’re starting to put last season behind them as they grind out victories. If Eden Hazard has carried his form from the previous game through the break, this should be a straightforward affair.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-0

Chelsea host Burnley on Saturday as they look to continue their perfect start to the new season. After three wins from three in all competitions, things are going pretty well for Antonio Conte’s team. Will they be able to carry that on against the newly promoted Clarets on Sunday? They are heading to London on the back of claiming a massive scalp – having beaten Liverpool 2-0 in their last league fixture.

The Blues could be without Willian, after the Brazilian missed the last two games. He’s been training as he aims to get back to full fitness after a calf injury, but this could come a little too soon for him. Long term absentee Kurt Zouma continues to miss out.

Without Zouma, expect to see little change at the back by Conte. His side may have conceded four times in three games so far, but he has few options at the back. With just five fit defenders, Conte is going to have to stick with the back four that has started the last two league games. Hopefully they’re being worked in training.

The defence will face a test this weekend, as Burnley are coming off the back of an impressive win. They beat Liverpool 2-0 at Turf Moor, with their forwards Sam Vokes and Andre Gray both opening their accounts for the season. Those two will relish playing a Chelsea defence which has yet to keep a clean sheet. Sean Dyche will be aiming to get the most out of his two strikers.

Given how Chelsea have slowed down at times in their opening few games, you have to worry about the damage Burnley could do. If given the opportunity, the Clarets could punish the Blues’ backline. League One Bristol Rovers caused them trouble in midweek, so they’re clearly not up to speed quite yet.

This game could see Conte starting with a 4-2-4. His favoured formation from early on in his career has saved the Blues’ blushes twice now. The switch has paid off against West Ham and Watford, and he did use it during the EFL Cup game in midweek. The only difference here would be that Michy Batshuayi would start alongside Diego Costa.

We’ve yet to see major changes from Conte, but a switch to two up front would be the first. The team have fallen into their old ways of slowing down in games that plagued both Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink last term. Playing with two high wingers and two men up front could be the gear shift that the side need at this stage.

With Conte just settling in and getting his men in shape, there was always going to be a slow start to the season. These early games have been a struggle, and that could continue here. Burnley won’t give the hosts an easy time here, we’re backing another 2-1 win. If Chelsea can keep getting the results, few will complain just yet if the performances aren’t also quite perfect.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1