Chelsea make their comeback from the November international break on Saturday lunchtime, travelling to Turf Moor for their Premier League contest with Burnley.
The third-placed Blues kick off the Premier League weekend in Lancashire as they seek to keep pace with Manchester City and Arsenal at the summit of the table. Victory against the Clarets would see them rise above the Cityzens and move within three points of the Gunners before the pair take to the field themselves.
Enzo Maresca’s side entered the international break with victory over managerless Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they have endured infrequent slip-ups over the past month. Defeat at home to Sunderland and an underwhelming draw against Qarabağ highlight the need for Chelsea to iron out their inconsistencies.
Burnley, led by ex-Chelsea player Scott Parker, will be eager to spring a surprise and have played their best football on home soil since their Premier League return. Seven of their ten points have been collected at Turf Moor, only tasting defeat to Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Clarets begin the weekend outside of the relegation zone on goal difference and will be keen not to drop into the bottom three.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the match.
What Time Does Burnley vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
- Location: Burnley, England
- Stadium: Turf Moor
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
- Kick-Off Time: 12.30 p.m. GMT / 7.30 a.m. ET / 4.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Peter Bankes
- VAR: Rob Jones
Burnley vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Burnley: 0 wins
- Chelsea: 3 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Chelsea 2–2 Burnley (March. 30, 2024)—Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Burnley vs. Chelsea on TV
Burnley Team News
Burnley were left fearing the worst as summer signing Armando Broja was stretchered off during Albania’s defeat to England. However, Parker has confirmed that the ex-Chelsea striker, who has consistently struggled with injuries during his career, is in contention to face his old side with his ankle issue not as severe as first thought.
Broja could be joined by Lesley Ugochukwu in facing his former employers. The midfielder signed for Burnley from the Blues over the summer and has been a regular starter for the Lancashire club, even scoring twice.
Zian Flemming is the man Chelsea’s backline will need to monitor. The Dutchman has scored three in his last three matches, including a goal against West Ham United last time out.
The Clarets remain without long-term absentees Zeki Amdouni, Jordan Beyer and Conor Roberts through injury, but Quilindschy Hartman is available after recovering from illness.
Burnley Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Burnley predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (5-3-2): Dúbravka; Walker, Laurent, Tuanzebe, Estève, Hartman; Ugochukwu, Cullen, Florentino; Flemming, Anthony.
Chelsea Team News
Cole Palmer is among the notable patients in the Chelsea treatment room and he’s suffered another setback amid an injury-hit season. The Englishman was close to returning from a persistent groin problem, but has now fractured his toe in a freak home accident, ruling him out of the coming matches.
In better news for Maresca, Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto have been given the green light to feature in Saturday’s clash despite missing the international period through injury. Benoît Badiashile could also be involved having recovered faster than expected from his muscle problem.
However, the injury-prone Roméo Lavia is still out and is unlikely to return until mid-December, while Levi Colwill and Dário Essugo are also absent with long-term issues.
Mykhailo Mudryk remains provisionally suspended after a failed drugs test.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Burnley
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Burnley (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap.
Burnley vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Burnley have proven handy on their return to the top flight—as have their fellow newly-promoted sides—but they have beaten in all five of their meetings with the traditional ‘Big Six’ this season. They have been thumped by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, comfortably beaten by Arsenal and defeated in stoppage time by Liverpool and Manchester United.
The Chelsea match marks the end of a difficult run of fixtures and they will be eager to steal a point or more, but the Blues are significant favourites for a reason.
Even with one eye on upcoming fixtures against Barcelona and Arsenal, Maresca boasts the quality and depth to sweep Burnley aside. They’re unlikely to hit their hosts for five or six, but they should saunter to a relatively straightforward win.
Prediction: Burnley 0–2 Chelsea
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Burnley vs. Chelsea: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
