Chelsea target Burnley’s defensive woes to maintain pressure at PL summit | OneFootball

Chelsea return from a break they would have preferred to avoid, given the momentum they carried into the international break. They resume their campaign with a trip to a Burnley side whose defensive problems continue to deepen.

Enzo Maresca’s team signed off with a convincing win against Wolverhampton Wanderers that allowed them to narrow the gap on leaders Arsenal, who dropped points at Sunderland before the stoppage.

They now aim to pick up where they left off, maintain pressure at the top and take advantage of a fixture that offers another chance to collect points.

Burnley’s defensive structure has deteriorated at an uncomfortable rate in recent weeks, with soft goals conceded and confidence draining from the squad.

They enter this game aware that their current level leaves them vulnerable, particularly against a Chelsea side that have sharpened their attacking patterns.

Chelsea will still be without Cole Palmer after a freak accident at home left him nursing a sore toe, but the head coach downplayed the issue and said Palmer would be unavailable only for a short spell.

Maresca insisted such things “can happen to anyone” and emphasised that the injury is unrelated to the groin problem the forward endured earlier in the season.

Chelsea have not been playing like they miss him, however, with recent performances showing a more cohesive structure and a wider spread of goal threats.

The growing understanding in the final third has allowed the team to function with greater fluidity even when key players have been absent.

Benoit Badiashile is available again after using the break to complete his recovery, providing Chelsea with additional depth in central defence. His return is timely given the demanding run of fixtures ahead and the ongoing need to rotate across the back line.

Burnley will try to disrupt Chelsea’s rhythm by making the game scrappy and denying them easy control, but their defensive frailties keep undermining their intentions.

Maresca’s side travel with confidence, structure and noticeably improved balance, and they will expect to dictate long stretches of the contest.

Chelsea’s momentum before the break gives them a platform, yet the challenge is to ensure it survives the restart on an afternoon where the early kick-off and post-break rust can influence the tempo.

A disciplined performance should still make their quality tell against a Burnley team struggling to stabilise themselves at the back.