The final international break of 2025 has reached its conclusion, and the Premier League returns with a Turf Moor tussle between Burnley and Chelsea on Saturday lunchtime.
The Clarets entered the hiatus on a dampening two-match losing run, whereas the Club World Cup champions are hunting a third straight top-flight success in Lancashire.
Match preview
Positioning themselves on the podium just before the two-week pause, Chelsea had little trouble sweeping aside a manager-less Wolverhampton Wanderers side at Stamford Bridge on November 8, when a former Molineux favourite was among the scorers.
Pedro Neto completed the job for Enzo Maresca's men following earlier efforts from Joao Pedro and Malo Gusto in a 3-0 win, as Chelsea roared to back-to-back top-flight successes after deservedly taking down derby rivals Tottenham Hotspur in gameweek 10.
The Blues' early-season results in 2025-26 may be a mixed bag, but only Arsenal and Manchester City have out-performed the West London titans, who lie in a very respectable third place in the Premier League table with 20 points to their name.
Maresca's men could now move to within just three of the league-leading Gunners should Tottenham best their arch-rivals in Sunday's North London derby, and the omens are positive for the more superstitious visiting supporters.
Indeed, Chelsea have triumphed in each of their last seven Premier League games held at 12.30pm on a Saturday, and the Blues have also won each of their last two top-flight away matches without conceding - not since 2021 have they done so three times on the spin.
Scott Parker pictured on 27 September 2025 for Burnley
A side formerly renowned for their record-breaking defensive resilience in the Championship, Scott Parker's Burnley come into gameweek 12 with the third-worst rearguard record in the top flight - only Wolverhampton Wanderers (25) and West Ham United (23) have shipped more than their 22 goals to date.
Seven of those goals have come across the Clarets' last three fixtures, in which Parker's side have edged out Wolves in a five-goal thriller, put up little resistance against Arsenal and succumbed to a demoralising loss away to fellow relegation candidates West Ham.
Going down 3-2 to the Irons in gameweek 11 left the 17th-placed Clarets only above the drop zone on goal difference, and it is now just two clean sheets from their last 31 Premier League games for the hosts, who concede just over two per game on average in that time.
Burnley have also been bested in each of their last six Premier League home matches against Chelsea, most recently a 4-1 battering in October 2023, although the Clarets did come away from Stamford Bridge with a creditable 2-2 draw later that season.
Burnley Premier League form:
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L
W
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L
Chelsea Premier League form:
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W
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W
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Chelsea form (all competitions):
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D
W
Team News
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring on August 30, 2025
Chelsea did not go through the international break without suffering one injury scare, as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens took a knock on England Under-21s duty, but the attacker quickly shook off his concern and is expected to be fine for Saturday.
However, Maresca is sweating on Enzo Fernandez (knee), Pedro Neto (groin) and Benoit Badiashile (unspecified), while Dario Essugo (thigh), Cole Palmer (groin), Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping ban) are all absent.
Provider of two assists in the win over Wolves, Alejandro Garnacho is primed to make history on Saturday, when he could become the youngest South American player to make 100 appearances in the Premier League at 21 years old - overtaking a 22-year-old Gabriel Martinelli.
As far as Burnley are concerned, ex-Blues striker Armando Broja was stretchered off in Albania's loss to England after picking up an all-too familiar injury, but there is hope that his ankle problem is not as serious as first feared.
Nevertheless, Broja will almost certainly miss out on a reunion with his former employers on Saturday, joining Jordan Beyer (thigh), Zeki Amdouni (knee) and Connor Roberts (Achilles) in the infirmary - none of the latter trio will return until 2026.
Lesley Ugochukwu is available to take on his erstwhile club, though, and will likely function as the number 10 behind the in-form Zian Flemming, who boasts three goals from four Premier League starts for the hosts.
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Dubravka; Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Hartman; Florentino, Cullen; Bruun Larsen, Ugochukwu, Anthony; Flemming
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Estevao, Pedro, Garnacho; Delap
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We say: Burnley 1-3 Chelsea
Burnley have a man in form up front in Flemming, but the Clarets can surely only hope for the odd consolation goal against Chelsea, who are well-placed to capitalise on their hosts' defensive deficiencies.
Barcelona is on the horizon for the Blues, who could be forgiven for having one eye on that Champions League classic, but they should nevertheless march to the perfect warm-up win on Saturday lunchtime.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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