Following their highly significant victory over Arsenal last weekend, can Chelsea continue their push for the title at Turf Moor this Sunday? Having put 12 points between themselves and the Gunners, they’ll be hoping to move even further clear this weekend, when they travel to face the Clarets. Elsewhere, second placed Tottenham face a trip to Anfield, which could see them slip further off the pace. There’s a chance that the league leaders could go even further clear with three points on Sunday, strengthening their hold at the top of the Premier League.
However, Burnley will have something to say about that. Few sides come to their ground and get a result, so the Blues are going to face a stern test to say the least. While the hosts are newly promoted to the top flight, they’re looking very good for survival, and that’s almost exclusively thanks to their form at home. They’ll relish the challenge of facing the best side in the league, so Antonio Conte’s men need to be at their best here to come away with the points. Will they record yet another victory, or could the leaders allow the chasing pack to close the gap?
Team News: Could Fabregas return after weekend impact?
Chelsea once again come here with a fully fit squad to pick from. With all options available, Conte is likely to go with his strongest line up, starting in a 3-4-3 once again. The only possible change is the introduction of Cesc Fabregas, who scored soon after coming on against Arsenal at the weekend. The midfielder impressed in his cameo, and he could have worked his way back in to the team for this weekend’s game.
The manager will have a choice between the former Barcelona man and Nemanja Matic, with one of them partnering N’Golo Kante. Elsewhere, we expect no changes to the side which started last weekend, as the boss continues his consistent team selection.
Burnley come into this one without their big summer signing Jeff Hendrick, who was sent off for an awful tackle at Watford last weekend. Sean Dyche is also without Dean Marney and Steven Defour in midfield, which leaves them a little short of options. Hendrick and Defour are two of their four usual starters in midfield, so they have a couple of holes to plug. Dyche tends to start with a 4-4-2 formation, which could cause his side problems here. Teams who start with four in midfield against Kante and co rarely come out on top.
Burnley Form
Burnley come into this game 12th in the table, and they’re now nine points clear of the relegation zone. It’s their best Premier League season so far, having been relegated in their previous two. While they could still go down this term, there’s a lot going for the Clarets at the moment. Their fantastic home record has been the foundation of their push for survival, and it’s something that Chelsea need to worry about this weekend.
Burnley have the third best home record in the Premier League. Only the top two, Chelsea and Spurs, have taken more points at their own grounds than the Clarets have on theirs. They’ve averaged 2.15 points per game at home this term, winning 69% of their home games. They’ve won their last seven at Turf Moor in all competitions, which makes this a very tricky test for the leaders. Can they continue that fantastic run when they host the side with the best away record in the league?
Burnley v Chelsea Head to Head
Chelsea have had mostly good results against Burnley of late. They won at Turf Moor in both 2010 and 2014, winning the league in both seasons. They’ll be hoping for a repeat of that on Sunday, especially as they’ve won their last three visits to this stadium, with their last defeat away to the Clarets coming back in 1973. Will we see a repeat of the routine 3-0 victory they recorded at Stamford Bridge earlier this season?
- Chelsea 3-0 Burnley, Aug 2016
- Chelsea 1-1 Burnley, Feb 2015
- Burnley 1-3 Chelsea, Aug 2014
- Burnley 1-2 Chelsea, Jan 2010
- Chelsea 3-0 Burnley, Aug 2009
Betting Tips
- Both teams to score – 11/10 with Coral
- Eden Hazard to score – 11/8 with Sky Bet
Chelsea are priced as the 2/5 favourites with Betfair, despite Burnley’s impressive record at home. Betfred make the draw 7/2, while you can get 8/1 on an eighth consecutive home win for Burnley with BetVictor.
The leaders are expected to continue their push for the title. The Blues aren’t far away, with 34 points the all-important number for them. That’s the combined total of points claimed for Chelsea and dropped by their nearest rivals, which guarantees them another title. Can they cut that number this weekend?
Given Burnley’s strong form at home, the visitors are going to face a difficult test. The Clarets have scored in 85% of their home games, including their last eight consecutive home league matches. The Blues have found the net in 83% of their away league games, so they should grab a goal when they visit Turf Moor. We’re backing both teams to find the net this weekend, which looks very well priced at 11/10 with Coral. Given the form of these two sides, goals seem more than likely here, which makes that a huge price.
We also see Eden Hazard getting on the scoresheet for the Blues, after his wonderful effort against Arsenal last time out. The Belgian has been fantastic all season, and we’re backing him to follow up his excellent display against the Gunners by grabbing a goal at Turf Moor. We’re going with him to score anytime against Burnley, which seems like good value at 11/8 with Sky Bet. Given that he’s already scored 10 goals in the league this season, he’s well priced to add to that total.