Chelsea vs Burnley

Premier League underachievers Chelsea will be keen to stay on the upward trajectory when they meet relegation-battling Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals before the final international break of the Premier League season with a 4-2 home win against second-tier Leicester City, maintaining an alternate route into European football next season. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s men remain stuck in the Premier League’s lower reaches, five points adrift of the top seven, despite stringing together four unbeaten league matches (W2, D2). Burnley’s upcoming visit bodes well for the Blues’ quest to bridge the gap on West Ham, as they’ve not lost any of their last ten H2Hs (W8, D2), including a superb 4-1 victory in October’s reverse fixture. But as both those draws came at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea can’t take anything for granted, regardless of their formidable home league run of five wins from their last six games (L1).

Meanwhile, visiting Burnley not long ago seemed destined for relegation, but things have recently improved. Nottingham Forest’s four-point deduction, coupled with a spirited 2-1 home win against Brentford last time out, has seen the Clarets whittle down the gap on safety to five points. But manager Vincent Kompany has proved unable to set up proper tactics on the road, resulting in Burnley claiming a league second-low nine points on their travels (W2, D3, L9). A lack of defensive solidity has seen his men concede an average of two goals per game away from home this league campaign, casting further doubt on their bid to beat the odds this weekend. Moreover, they’re winless in their last five away league games (D1, L4), conceding 2+ goals on each occasion.