Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have predicted whether or not Chelsea can defeat Burnley this weekend. Mauricio Pochettino will welcome the Clarets to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon with both sides hoping to climb the Premier League table.
The Blues, who have struggled to break into the top half of the table, head into the tie off the back of a chaotic 4-2 win over Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-final. As for Burnley, they also enjoyed a victory before the international break, defeating Brentford at the G-Tech Community Stadium.
While Vincent Kompany will be eager to extend his side’s winning streak, he’ll be without David Datro Fofana, who joined the Clarets on loan from Chelsea in January. The Blues striker has scored in each of his last two appearances for Burnley, so his absence certainly comes as a major blow.
Nevertheless, in a column for SportsKeeda, Merson suggested that the Clarets’ approach could play into Pochettino’s hands. The Arsenal legend said: “If Burnley enjoy a lot of possession and play their natural game then Chelsea could get frustrated because the Clarets can cause problems.
“But with the quality that the Blues have got, they just need a few moments to win the game. Chelsea have too much quality going forward. Burnley are the kind of team that big clubs would relish going up against, because the Clarets will come out swinging.
“They are not going to sit back and just take the punches, and that could play right into Chelsea’s hands. As far as Mauricio Pochettino is concerned, I think it’s a ‘C minus’ in terms of performances so far. He could do better.
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“I know they’ve had injuries and he’s come into a chaotic environment, but they shouldn’t be a mid-table team. Chelsea have made it to the Carabao Cup final and are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, so they’ve done well in knockout tournaments.
“In cup competitions, you don’t need to be consistent. Chelsea just haven’t got that kind of consistency that helps them do well in the Premier League. Burnley are a funny side. They play decently on most days but then shoot themselves in the foot and lose a lot of games.
“The Chelsea fans will be on Burnley’s backs throughout the game at Stamford Bridge. I don’t expect Burnley to take anything away from this game. Chelsea 3-1 Burnley.”
Singing from the same hymn sheet, Sutton claimed that, despite Chelsea’s woes, the Blues have far too much quality. Speaking to BBC Sport, the former Blackburn Rovers striker said: “I really cannot win with Burnley, who beat Brentford at Turf Moor last time out after I had given up on them ever getting anything at home.
“I don’t seem to do much better with Chelsea, whose inconsistency for most of this season has made predicting their results very difficult, but I am pretty confident I will be right about them this time.
“Recent results for Mauricio Pochettino’s side have actually been a lot more steady and, with the FA Cup semi-finals to come, they can still finish a disappointing season on a positive note. Chelsea were too strong for Burnley earlier in the season, and I am expecting the same story at Stamford Bridge. 2-0.”
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