PREVIEW: BURNLEY V CHELSEA

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The Clarets face World and European club champions Chelsea at Turf Moor

2022-03-04T12:25:05.541Z

PREVIEW: BURNLEY V CHELSEA

The Clarets face World and European club champions Chelsea at Turf Moor

2022-03-04T12:25:05.541Z

The Clarets face World and European club champions Chelsea at Turf Moor

The Blues rested some players for their FA Cup fifth-round win at Luton Town. Saul Niguez, Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku got the goals in a 3-2 comeback win.

Prior to that Thomas Tuchel’s side lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool 11-10 on penalties after a goalless draw. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the crucial spot kick.

The Clarets lost 2-0 to Leicester City on Tuesday night with substitutes James Maddison and Jamie Vardy scoring for the Foxes. It was only Burnley’s second defeat in eight league games.

Manager Sean Dyche reflected on Tuesday night’s defeat.

“The mood has been good. The reaction has been good. It’s the first time, other than the first half against Manchester United where they were strong and we came back into that game, other than that it’s the first time we have come off a really good performance consistency. We weren’t far off but we gave away two sloppy goals in the end.”

Dyche watched Chelsea’s FA Cup win on Wednesday night. He knows what a good side the World Club champions are

“They have got some fine players, that’s for sure. There are still going to be a solid outfit, as a minimum. People have described it as an indifferent run but they’ve only lost one in ten.”

Form guide

Burnley have only lost two of their last eight Premier League games.

The Clarets will go into the weekend in 18th position, Chelsea are third, 16 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Chelsea have only lost one in ten in the Premier League, and that was at the Etihad.

That City defeat was only the second time Thomas Tuchel’s side have lost on their travels in the Premier League this season. A 3-2 defeat at the London Stadium was the other setback.

Opposition guide

Chelsea will come to Turf Moor on Saturday after playing their last five games in five different competitions - Club World Cup, Premier League, Champions League, EFL Cup and FA Cup - it’s the first known incident of a club playing five consecutive games in different competitions.

Dual Premier League winner N’Golo Kante spoke to the press after the Luton Town win and admitted the squad have been caught off guard by owner Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell the club.

"Maybe I heard it a little bit earlier than you but still it was very close to kick-off," he said.

"But we heard the rumours throughout the day and on TV. When we have team meetings and we eat together, the guys talk about it, everybody talks about it.

"It is big news. Let's wait and see and hope for the best and see what the day brings. I think every decision he [Abramovich] takes is the right decision. It's his choice, it's his club. That's not on me to comment."

“The only thing we can do, because we don't control these things, is to do the best that we have always done.

“Which means that playing football at the best [possible level], for us, for the club, for the fans and see how the things are going and it's the only thing we can control,” he added.

Match stats

Only six Premier League sides have conceded less than the 32 league goals Burnley have let in this season.

Burnley have won 49 home Premier League games but have never beaten Chelsea in the competition at Turf Moor.

For Burnley’s last top-flight home win over Chelsea, you have to go back to August 1973 when Frank Casper got the only goal.

Jack Cork started his career at Chelsea and had two loan spells at Turf Moor before joining the club permanently from Swansea City. He made his third Burnley debut in the 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge in August 2017.

Mason Mount is Chelsea’s top scorer in the Premier League with seven.

German international striker Timo Werner turns 26 tomorrow