Chelsea vs Burnley
Newly-minted Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is set to take the helm once more as his Blues will host the Clarets on Sunday night.
The German manager is in search for his first-ever Premier League victory as his side failed to do so last week during their goalless draw against the struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But achieving such feat won’t come easy given how Burnley have played as of late. Sean Dyche’s side are on a winning streak weeks after losing back-to-back to kick off 2021.
Either way, grabbing the three points will be helpful for both of these clubs given their varying objectives.
As for Chelsea, they will look to move up to the table at around the top four. After sitting on top of the standings late last year, the Blues have now fallen to the eighth place with 30 points.
Meanwhile, Burnley will do whatever it takes to stay afloat in the English top-flight as they are at 15th with 22 points.
The time for pleasantries is over for Thomas Tuchel as he needs to deliver results for Roman Abramovich and co., but will his boys be up for the task?
Talking points
Growing pains are inevitable for Chelsea
There are high expectations around Stamford Bridge when Thomas Tuchel was brought over to replace Frank Lampard. However, it might take some time for them to round into form.
Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm due to their inconsistency and injuries under Lampard, and that led to the sacking of the club icon.
Obviously his firing saddened Chelsea fans, but that just goes to show how ruthless this business is.
With Tuchel on the helm, Chelsea would need to find a way to make things work given how the roster is constructed.
Summer signings Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, and Hakim Ziyech may have had their moments, but those instances have only come few and far between.
Nonetheless, Chelsea should still be better than their current standing as they have enough depth and quality that can create memorable Premier League 2021 highlights.
During Tuchel’s first game against the Wolves, there are some encouraging signs for them to write about which should only improve down the line.
Callum Hudson-Odoi looked like a natural in the wing-back position, while Kai Havertz was sharp on the ball and made some exciting runs in the final third.
Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho were good in holding their own in the middle and it should only get better once N’Golo Kante returns from injury.
Tuchel had success implementing the 3-4-3 formation in the last time out, but whether that will be their ideal formation moving forward remains to be seen.
Burnley might miss some key men
After an up-and-down campaign so far, Sean Dyche’s side have finally built some serious momentum towards the end of January.
Burnley have beaten Liverpool and Aston Villa in their last two league games, while they eased past Fulham to advance in the FA Cup.
However, in order for Burnley to come away with a victory this Sunday, he would need all hands on deck to topple Chelsea.
Ashley Barnes will hope to be fit for this West London trip after being ruled out against Aston Villa, while Josh Brownhill and Charlie Taylor sustained knocks in the last time out.
If they are unable to play, it means that leading scorers Chris Wood and Jay Rodriguez will be tasked to carry the heavy load for the Clarets.
History
Chelsea have been historically dominant over Burnley and they are keen to maintain such trend.
In their 13 games together, the Blues have won nine times, whereas the Clarets have only won once along with three draws.
These two proud sides last met in late October where Chelsea crushed Burnley, 3-0, at Turf Moor.
Hakim Ziyech, Kurt Zouma, and Timo Werner punched in one goal each. And at that time, the Clarets failed to register a single shot on target.
Burnley’s only win in this head-to-head dates back to August 2017 in what was a dramatic five-goal thriller.
Betting Tip
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Chelsea vs Burnley | Chelsea Asian Handicap -1.25 @ 1.86 |
| January 31, 20:00(GMT+8) |
The Premier League 2021 odds here at SBOTOP point for Thomas Tuchel to grab his first-ever Premier League win.
His side is backed to win at 1.35, while Burnley are priced low at 8.75 and chances for a draw are at 4.50 in the 1×2 market.
Burnley are brimming in confidence after a run of three straight wins in all competitions, and they can pounce on Chelsea’s growing pains.
However, Tuchel will be itching to get that first Chelsea win and I see this going to the distance with the home side winning in the end.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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