After successfully dispatching BATE, Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea turns their attention towards Premier League as they gets ready to face Burnley.
Chelsea travels to Turf Moor to get back to winning ways in the Premier League after dropping two points against Manchester United last week. Although they are unbeaten in all competitions, they have won only once in the last three Premier League fixtures. They cannot afford to drop more points with just two points separating top five. Here are three things to look for on Sunday.
1. Burnley’s Form: Predictable but not easy
Sean Dyche’s team is known for soaking up the pressure and defending by all means. Although they are not quite as formidable this time around at home, they have the quality to cause issues for Chelsea. Dyche will be looking for answers from his team after their 5-0 defeat to Manchester City last week.
Having won just once at home, they will be keen to get back to winning ways. Sam Vokes (who signed a three year to extension to his contract) has two goals in his last three outings. Injury to Aaron Lennon will be a worry for the Clarets.
On the back of their performance against the champions last week, it will not be a surprise if their priority is to have a clean sheet on Sunday. Dyche would have his ideas on how to exploit Chelsea’s defense when a chance is opened up for them.
2. Maurizio Sarri’s team selection
The biggest headache heading into the fixture for Sarri would be the injury that has kept Eden Hazard out from the midweek Europa League clash and the subsequent training sessions. A player of his quality is vital when facing a team known for defending deep. However, Pedro (who was missed badly against West Ham) returning to full fitness is a welcome sign.
Another interesting topic will be the inclusion of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. On the back of any normal performance, Sarri could have dropped him from the 18-man squad. It will not be easy for him to do that now. Loftus-Cheek has definitely made his point with a well-taken hat trick in the Europa League.
Chelsea could make use of players like Loftus-Cheek who are capable of taking shots from outside the penalty box against teams that would like to defend deep. The match against West Ham showed Chelsea’s weakness against teams that likes to sit deep. Sarri could do well to keep out players who are known for their defensive capabilities against opposition like Burnley.
3. Goals from the attackers
Lack of goals from the attackers is a serious problem the Blues face. Olivier Giroud more than makes up for his lack of goals with his hold up play. He knows how to link up with his fellow attackers well which has given him four assists so far in the Premier League. Having played the full 90 minutes on Thursday, it could be expected Alvaro Morata will be back in the starting XI on Sunday.
Willian’s inabilities in front of goal have always troubled Chelsea. If Hazard does not make the starting XI, Willian will join Morata and Pedro in the front three. N’Golo Kante is not known for his goal-scoring powers. Mateo Kovacic is yet to find the back of the net for Sarri.
In that regard, Ross Barkley and Loftus-Cheek are the best bet having found the back of the net in their last outings. With Jorginho and Kante making up the other two of midfield three, Barkley (an unused sub on Thursday) is likely to start against Burnley.
The Blues need output from their offence to make sure they come out against Burnley with the full three points.