With 15 games to go, The Blues have not wrapped it up yet, but remain hot favourites as they bid to extend the distance between them and defending champions Manchester City beyond the seven-point cushion they have now.
Burnley go into the tie seeking a miraculous win that would take them out of the relegation quagmire they find themselves in, as they are second-from-bottom, just four points above log anchors Leicester and one below Aston Villa.
Should they win as expected, Chelsea would have edged closer to the league crown, as the number of games fast decreases, thereby making it harder for the chasing lot to catch up with Jose Mourinho’s side. On the same day, second-placed City will be at home to Newcastle United, the hosts again favoured for a win, but not one near as certain as that of their league rivals. City have disappointed in such encounters before, having failed to win any of the five league and cup games they placed in the absence of their talismanic midfielder, Yaya Toure, who returns this weekend, after he lifted the African Nations Cup with his Ivory Coast national team. The Ivorian midfielder, also captain of his national team, is expected to once again provide the inspiration for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, as they seek to get their title aspirations back on track. Obviously, most City supporters would wish that their best player remains free from fatigue to help their cause.
Manchester United, who lie 12 points below Chelsea, will be seeking for another win away to Swansea, which would confirm their revival under former Dutch national team coach, Louis van Gaal.
Other fixtures:
Saturday: Hull City vs Queens Park Rangers; Sunderland vs West Bromwich Albion; Aston Villa vs Stoke City; Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Sunday: Tottenham vs West Ham United; Everton vs Leicester City; Southampton vs Liverpool
Post published in: Football