In the first match on Saturday at Turf Moor, Chelsea, who are in third place, will play Burnley, who is just above the Premier League’s relegation zone. Enzo Maresca’s team can move up to second place, at least for now, with a win in Lancashire when the league season starts up again after the international break.
Chelsea are in good shape after bouncing back strongly from a surprising loss to Sunderland. Since that loss, the Blues have won three of their last four league games, including a convincing 3-0 home win over Wolves that gave them two league wins in a row before the break.
Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto, who are both wide players, have started to work well together in the final third. It will be important for the Londoners to keep that up as they try to close the gap on Arsenal, who are six points ahead at the top.
Burnley, on the other hand, are coming into the game on a bad run after losing to London teams Arsenal and West Ham in a row. The loss to the Hammers was especially bad because Scott Parker’s team gave up a lead and saw the gap to the relegation zone close as West Ham climbed to 18th place and tied on points.
The Clarets usually play better against top teams at Turf Moor, and they will try to get their first clean sheet in three league games as a starting point. Parker would get a big boost from ending a streak of almost 10 games without a win against Chelsea, and the home fans would be very happy about it.
Burnley vs Chelsea: Key Battle
There will probably be a lot of important one-on-one battles on the field during Burnley’s game against Chelsea at Turf Moor. The home team is trying to stay out of the relegation zone, while the visitors are trying to get into the top two.
Kyle Walker will have to keep Alejandro Garnacho from scoring on Burnley’s right side. The Clarets’ organized and tight start to the season was thanks in large part to the experienced defender, but their back line has been showing signs of weakness in recent weeks.
Garnacho, on the other hand, has gotten back into the swing of things at Stamford Bridge, scoring two goals and setting up two more in his last four games. His growing chemistry with Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro has made Chelsea more dangerous in wide and half-space areas, so Walker’s positioning and leadership are very important.