Burnley vs. Chelsea: Preview and betting tips

Burnley welcome an uncomfortable opponent on Saturday, with Chelsea coming to the Clarets’ ground. Both teams need points, the visitors can still shuffle the cards in the title fight with a bit of luck.

Burnley have picked up seven points in the last four rounds but are still in the relegation zone. From eighteenth place, they are only one point behind seventeenth-placed Everton, so the motivation will be high on Saturday!

Chelsea missed two rounds due to their participation in the Club World Cup, but they are still in third place. With two games to go, they have a five-point lead over fifth-placed West Ham, so they are in control of qualification for the Champions League.

Ben Mee shines in the home camp. The long-time mainstay has even been nominated for the best player of February. Summer signing Maxwel Cornet has entered the England engagement well, but has stuck around for six goals and hasn’t got unstuck.

Form has gone up dramatically for Hakim Ziyech over the winter, with the Moroccan midfielder boasting a 7+5 record through all competitions. Edouard Mendy, according to many experts the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, is catching very well.

Burnley have long relied on their stoppers James Tarkowski and Mee, not for nothing do they have the best defence of the second half of the table. They’ve only conceded 32 goals.

The Blues, too, rely on a solid defensive line, keeping a clean sheet in three of their last four games, and only Manchester City (17) have a better defence than Chelsea (18) in the league.

Given Burnley’s narrow squad, I think fatigue will set in. The Clarets have played three games in the last nine days, so I think they will lose and at least two goals will be scored.