Game Week 8 Predictions: Chelsea to beat Burnley at Turf Moor

 

Burnley will look to build on a great showing at Luton last Tuesday but can they stop a resurgent Chelsea? (Photo credit: 90Min.com)

Burnley vs. Chelsea

Turf Moor

3:00pm

Burnley won for the first time this season away at Luton Town, and that must have added wind to their sails as they prepare for the daunting task of hosting a seemingly resurgent Chelsea at Turf Moor.

The Clarets won 2-1 at Kenilworth Road in a rescheduled midweek game and would look to build on it after picking only one point from their previous six games on their swift return to the Premier League after relegation last year.

Chelsea won for the second time in the league on Monday, but it was a performance that deserved the result they got. Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja both scored for the first time this season, with the former registering his first goal for the Blues in the process.

The injury woes that befell Chelsea won’t go away, but players are recovering gradually while coach Mauricio Pochettino continues to find ways to tinker with what he has. Deploying Marc Cucurella at right-back is yielding dividends, but for how long?

Burnley will have to pay attention to details if they want to shock the Blues the way they did fellow strugglers Luton in midweek. They conceded a goal deep into the game, and it felt like they had dropped points again, but a swift pick-up from the restart handed them a goal that won it for them.

Chelsea would create more chances than Luton did, and that means they would have more to deal with in their own area, but they have to play through Luca Koleosho on the left to test Cucurella, who will be playing out of position in the absence of the suspended Malo Gusto.

Reece James is back in training, but he served a ban after accepting a breach of conduct charge from the FA. Broja will face a late fitness test after he was replaced injured in the win against Fulham, and Mudryk should be fit to start too.

Lyle Foster scored against Luton after serving his one-match ban and should be a player to watch out for on Saturday. The Clarets will have a lot of defending to do, but Chelsea is still a fragile side that can be punished on fast breaks.

Verdict: Chelsea to win