Chelsea need a statement win against Burnley on Saturday
By George Perry
Chelsea are favorites to defeat Burnley when the Clarets come to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Despite their 3-0 start, a win will not be enough: Chelsea needs to make a statement.
The key statistic in Chelsea’s first three games is not the three wins – it’s the +3 goal differential. The Blues only defeated West Ham United, Watford and Bristol Rovers by one goal each.
The margin gets even slimmer when you consider how Chelsea secured those wins. Chelsea did not score the winner until the final 10 minutes against West Ham and Watford. They carried a first-half lead to the final whistle against League One’s Bristol Rovers, but no one felt secure with Chelsea at 3-2.
The Blues have been fortunate to start the season with a relatively light schedule. Those times are quickly coming to a close. Swansea City, Liverpool, Leicester City and Arsenal loom on the other side of Burnley.
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Antonio Conte’s side needs to prove that they are capable of competing and winning against the Premier League’s top clubs. Yes, Chelsea is currently towards the top of the table, but so is Hull City. The top clubs are not simply those with six points on two games.
A statement win does not need to be a blow-out. Breaking down Sean Dyche’s rough-and-tumble team and winning by three is definitely one way to prove that Chelsea has the necessary toughness, fluidity and strike-power. A two goal lead at the half and a three goal margin of victory over Burnley would show that Antonio Conte has a team ready to contend for the Premier League title.
A tightly-controlled, highly-disciplined 1-0 win could make just as powerful a statement. The Blues have yet to keep a clean sheet this season. This glaring deficiency can be rectified against a low-scoring club like Burnley.
Burnley will play a very compact, deep defense. They will sacrifice possession while maintaining a block around their own box.
In their 2-0 win over Liverpool, Burnley set a Premier League record for least possession by the winning team: 19%. Liverpool absolutely dominated the middle third of the field, while most of Burnley’s possession came directly in front of their own goal. Burnley compensated by covering more ground than the Reds.
Facing this Claret wall and incessant work-rate, Chelsea will need to make the most out of every scoring chance they get. They must also maintain 100% focus, as Burnley showed against Liverpool how they can exploit lapses in concentration.
Against such an opponent, a 1-0 win would be very Italian, very Antonio Conte… and very Chelsea.
Chelsea’s key will be converting their attack early through Diego Costa and Michy Batshuayi. They can then spend the remainder of the game probing for a second while protecting the lead. Without the need to bring their defenders forward in search of a goal, the Blues can limit Burnley’s opportunities to exploit the Blues’ leaden back-line.
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Sean Dyche has built a quintessentially tough English club, almost the last of a dying breed. Despite Burnley’s Premier League yo-yo, they are a well-made team and will be a worthy adversary. Saturday will be an ideal opportunity for Chelsea to prove their claims as title contenders.