The final international break of 2025 has ended, and the Premier League returns with Burnley hosting Chelsea at Turf Moor on Saturday lunchtime. Burnley head into the match on the back of two consecutive losses, while Chelsea, fresh from winning the Club World Cup, are looking for their third straight league victory in Lancashire.
Before the break, Chelsea were comfortably sitting in third place after defeating a manager-less Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on November 8. Former Wolves favourite Pedro Neto scored to complete the win following goals from Joao Pedro and Malo Gusto, giving Chelsea back-to-back league victories after their triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in gameweek 10.
Chelsea’s start to the 2025-26 season has been a mixture of highs and lows, but only Arsenal and Manchester City have earned more points than the West London side, who currently sit in a strong third position with 20 points. With a win against Burnley, Chelsea could close the gap on the league leaders Arsenal to just three points, depending on the outcome of the North London derby on Sunday.
The visitors also have a streak to inspire confidence, having won their last seven Premier League games held at 12.30pm on a Saturday, and they have kept clean sheets in their last two league away matches. They have not achieved three consecutive away clean sheets in the league since 2021.
Burnley, under Scott Parker, come into the match with defensive struggles that contrast sharply with their Championship reputation for resilience. The Clarets have conceded 22 goals so far this season, only better than Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. Seven of those goals came in their last three matches, where they narrowly beat Wolves in a five-goal thriller, struggled against Arsenal, and lost 3-2 to West Ham, leaving them just above the relegation zone on goal difference. Burnley have managed only two clean sheets in their last 31 league games, conceding on average over two goals per match.
Historically, Burnley have struggled against Chelsea at home, losing each of their last six league matches against the Blues. Their most recent home defeat came in October 2023, when Chelsea won 4-1, though Burnley did manage a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge later that season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea did not emerge from the international break completely unscathed, as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens picked up a knock while on England Under-21 duty. Fortunately, the attacker recovered quickly and is expected to be available for Saturday’s clash.
Manager Enzo Maresca, however, remains concerned over Enzo Fernandez with a knee issue, Pedro Neto with a groin problem, and Benoit Badiashile with an unspecified injury. Meanwhile, Dario Essugo with a thigh injury, Cole Palmer with a groin problem, Levi Colwill with a knee issue, Romeo Lavia with a thigh injury, and Mykhaylo Mudryk, who is serving a doping ban, are all sidelined.
Alejandro Garnacho, who provided two assists in the victory over Wolves, is set for a milestone on Saturday. At 21 years old, he could become the youngest South American to reach 100 Premier League appearances, surpassing Gabriel Martinelli, who achieved the feat at 22.
For Burnley, former Chelsea striker Armando Broja was stretchered off during Albania’s loss to England with a familiar ankle injury, though there is cautious optimism that it may not be as serious as initially feared. Despite this, Broja is expected to miss the match, joining Jordan Beyer with a thigh problem, Zeki Amdouni with a knee injury, and Connor Roberts with an Achilles issue in the long-term injury list, none of whom are likely to return until 2026.
Lesley Ugochukwu is available for Burnley and is expected to play as the number 10, supporting the in-form Zian Flemming, who has already scored three goals in four Premier League starts this season.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
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
EXPERT PREDICTION
Burnley 1-2 Chelsea
