Date: Saturday 11th January 2020
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
After a
short break for the FA Cup, this afternoon’s game sees us take on Burnley at
Stamford Bridge. I don’t usually fancy games against Burnley and any home
fixture has the potential to raise my blood pressure this season, but if this
afternoon’s game brings even 90 minutes break from the whingeing about the lack
of signings in the last 11 days, then I welcome it with open arms.
I might
not feel the same way by the end of the game of course, Burnley come to us on a
bad run but they’re a difficult side to break down, it’s a story we know only
too well – and with defeats to Bournemouth and Southampton already, we’re in
danger of a third consecutive home league defeat for the first time since 1993.
Sean
Dyche wasn’t happy with some decisions in our last meeting, so he’ll be hoping we
haven’t discovered a cure for the Stamford Bridge Syndrome yet. Personally, with all Dyche’s finger pointing
and accusations after that game, I would hope Callum Hudson-Odoi comes prepared
to throw himself into this one at the deep end.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s
game, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, says “When you analyse the three games we lost [at
home], they give you a bad feeling. You see we have created 50 chances but no
goals. We need to take our chances. It’s easy to say unlucky and things like
that. But we have to get things right and we work on that in training. We need
to find that killer instinct. Burnley
have a good record at the Bridge, very organised style and they can hurt you.
It’s almost like, not the worst game you can play, but a team who can hurt
you.”
Burnley manager Sean Dyche meanwhile, says “There
is a belief in what we do from the players and staff. It is a case of
delivering on what you know. Last year was another big learning curve. We are
only a few details away over the last couple of games. If we’d have beaten Villa [in their last league
game] people could say, weirdly, that we had a good Christmas, on 27 points and
through in the cup. The Premier League is different like that. One game can
mean everything is a different view point every week.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Ruben Loftus-Cheek
(Achilles), van Ginkel (ACL), Christian Pulisic (adductor) and Marcos
Alonso (hamstring) are all out.
For Burnley, will be
without Johann Berg Gudmundsson (hamstring) and Ashley Barnes (groin) are
injured, whilst Jay Rodriguez and Phil Bardsley (both flu) will be assessed. Ben
Gibson is back in training after a groin problem and Chris Wood is expected to
be back after a hamstring issue.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Kepa; James, Rudiger,
Zouma, Azpilicueta; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Willian, Abraham, Hudson-Odoi
BURNLEY (Possible line-up): Pope;
Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, Brady; McNeil, Vydra
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 2-2 Burnley (22nd April 2019)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: LLWLWD
BURNLEY: LWWLLL
OTHER STUFF
- Chelsea have lost
seven of their 21 league matches.
- Chelsea have been
beaten in five of their past nine league fixtures and kept just one clean sheet
in the process.
- Chelsea have
conceded 29 league goals, eight of them in the final 10 minutes of matches.
- Chelsea have
claimed 14 points at Stamford Bridge, in contrast to 22 in away games.
- Chelsea are looking
to complete the league double over Burnley for the first time since 2009-10,
when Blues head coach Frank Lampard played in both matches.
- Burnley have six
defeats in eight league games.
- Burnley have only
scored four times in those eight matches.
- Burnley have won
only one of their past 29 league games against established top-six opposition.
- Burnley have won
just one of the 11 Premier League meetings.
- Five of the six
Premier League points claimed by Burnley in this fixture have come at Stamford
Bridge.
PREDICTION
BBC Sport: Chelsea 2-0 Burnley
Sky Sports: Chelsea 2-0 Burnley
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Burnley