Chelsea vs. Burnley: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
It's back to where it all started for Chelsea this weekend as they entertain Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Cast your minds all the way back to August and you'll remember it was the Clarets whom Chelsea defeated 3-1 to get their Premier League campaign up and running on the opening weekend.
The Blues went behind in that game, but by half-time the points were in the bag after goals from Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic had sandwiched an exquisite finish by Andre Schurrle.
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Schurrle is long since gone, returning to the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg in January, but Chelsea remain as fluent and dominant as they did at Turf Moor six months ago.
Sean Dyche's side had the look of a rabbit in headlights that night as they adjusted to life in the top flight. They've gradually gotten to grips with the Premier League, though, and while they remain in a relegation battle—sitting in the bottom three ahead of the weekend's action—they've won over any critics with some promising displays.
One of those was the 2-2 draw with Manchester City during the busy Christmas schedule, coming back from two goals down to earn a valuable point at the Etihad Stadium.
With that in mind, Dyche's men will be confident they could get something from their trip to Stamford Bridge and Jose Mourinho will need to wary of a potential upset.
Date: Saturday, February 21
Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
TV Info: NBCSN (U.S. only)
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra (U.S. only)
Last Five Games
| January 27 | Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool (AET) |
| January 31 | Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City |
| February 7 | Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea |
| February 11 | Chelsea 1-0 Everton |
| February 17 | Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Chelsea |
| January 14 | Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 Burnley |
| January 17 | Burnley 2-3 Crystal Palace |
| January 31 | Sunderland 2-0 Burnley |
| February 8 | Burnley 2-2 West Bromwich Albion |
| February 11 | Manchester United 3-1 Burnley |
Predicted Formations
Mourinho confirmed John Obi Mikel remains his only injury concern ahead of this match, with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Oscar looking in better shape after not training for a week before the Paris Saint-Germain fixture.
As for Burnley, Dean Marney, Kevin Long, Matt Taylor and Stephen Ward remain on the sidelines.
Players to Watch
Diego Costa
He played in midweek against Paris Saint-Germain, but facing Burnley will be Diego Costa's first game back in domestic action since his three-match suspension for a stamp on Emre Can in January.
We can rest assured knowing the Spanish international will be looking to make up for lost time.
He looked rusty against PSG, but playing at home will be a different story for Costa. He's scored 10 of his 17 Premier League goals at Stamford Bridge, and Burnley's defenders have a long afternoon ahead of them if they're to keep him quiet.
Danny Ings
Similar to Diego Costa, Danny Ings is the main threat in attack for Burnley.
After a slow start to the campaign—Ings didn't score his first Premier League goal until late October—things have picked up, and he now has nine goals to his name.
That's a good return for a player in his debut season in the Premier League, especially as Burnley have struggled and scored just 24 goals all season.
He's a real threat, and with five goals in his last six Premier League games, his confidence will be high heading into this encounter.
Key Battle: Eden Hazard vs. Kieran Trippier
As we know, Eden Hazard is a player who likes to get forward and attack his opposite number on the flank.
The only thing, Burnley's right-back Kieran Trippier enjoys doing the same, so something has got to give in this matchup.
If Trippier maintains his attacking instincts against Hazard, it could get ugly for Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
The key for the Clarets coming away with anything will be their defensive solidity, so Trippier needs to be at his defensive best to stop Hazard in his his tracks.
And even that might not be good enough.
Prediction
3-1 to Chelsea
Odds (via Oddschecker)
Home win: 1/5
Away win: 18/1
Draw: 13/2
First goalscorer: Danny Ings (14/1)
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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