There was a moment to marvel from Captain America and the Batman in midweek, but Burnley – host town to the annual ‘Super Hero Sunday’ – have some avengers of their own. Just don’t make them angry.

There are few better examples of the diverse challenges in top-level football than the juxtaposition of pass-you-to-death Ajax and in-your-face Burnley. Both need to be matched physically albeit for different reasons.The Clarets’ force, energy and relentlessness are enough against most teams, but against opponents at the top of the table so far this season it has proved insufficient. Aside from a 3-1 home beating by League Two Sunderland in the Carabao Cup, they have lost to Liverpool at home (3-0) and away to Arsenal and Leicester (both 2-1).And although at times Sean Dyche’s team have looked back to their best after a 2018/19 campaign where the Europa League appeared to take its toll, Chelsea’s last top-flight defeat at Turf Moor came in August 1973.

The Blues have tasted victory in four of our five Premier League visits to Burnley, scoring at least twice in each victory. It would take another gargantuan performance this weekend, however, to set a new club record: four successive top-flight away wins with three or more goals scored.

Chalk, Cheese, and Claret

The clash of styles will literally be obvious from the kick-off on Saturday evening. Burnley have completed the fewest passes from restarts this season, taking one or two touches before aiming for their big strikers with a risk of losing the ball.

In contrast, no side averages more consecutive touches from a kick-off than Chelsea, whose intention under Frank Lampard is possession, but with very high intensity. Last season Maurizio Sarri’s Blues, like the Clarets, favoured a short pass back to David Luiz who would launch the ball forwards, usually to the left wing.

Two up for four on the spin

The league’s leading scorer, Tammy Abraham, and Mason Mount have found the way to goal in each of the Blues’ past three away games in the top flight. The last player to manage four in a row was Diego Costa, the last match being the crucial 3-1 victory at Manchester City in December 2016.

Interestingly, all three of the goals Burnley have conceded at home have come in the last quarter-hour of a half.

Premier League top scorers

Tammy Abraham 8Sergio Aguero 8Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 7Teemu Pukki 6Raheem Sterling 6Jamie Vardy 6

The value of set-plays

The differences in approach extends to set-plays, an area in which the Blues struggled to defend earlier in the campaign. We have conceded three times from set-plays, and only two sides – Everton and Watford – can say they have fared worse.

Successive clean sheets for the Londoners suggest the recently modified approach to defending corners and free-kicks might be working, but that theory will be sorely tested again at Turf Moor.

Dyche’s side have scored twice from set-pieces so far this season (five teams have managed more), both on home soil, and their tally of four headed goals is the second best in the top flight behind Manchester City.

Statistics show no Premier League team attacks more than the Clarets through the middle in open play, and none uses their right flank less. More Burnley crosses have picked out a team-mate than those by any other team.

Carabao Cup and Champions League catch-up

Manchester United are in action at Norwich late on Sunday afternoon, allowing them a day less to rest and prepare for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup round four encounter at the Bridge.

Ajax are at home on Sunday in De Klassieker against Feyenoord, their deadliest rivals, who are currently mid-table in the Eredivisie. Both sets of away supporters have been banned from these games for over a decade.

Coming of age in Amsterdam

It felt like a rite of passage for the young Blues in the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday, and not just when Christian Pulisic’s cross was thumped home by Michy Batshuayi (the America star’s fifth assist in 501 minutes in all competitions, and the Belgian’s fourth goal in seven games).

Overall this was a performance of burgeoning maturity, from the way they nullified Ajax’s talents the length and breadth of the pitch, then outplayed them, to the professional ways they expertly protected the lead in the last few minutes. The youthful Blues actually become the first team to beat them at home in the group stage since Barcelona in 2014.

Then you remember: these 18- to 21-year-olds have been facing big moments at the highest level in every age group since 15 or 16 while coming through the Chelsea ranks.

Frank Lampard’s coaching credentials were further enhanced too, by a switch to a back four for the first time in Group H, and the substitutions that produced the decisive finish.

Lille’s equaliser at home to 10-man Valencia opened a two-point gap from the top two to the Spaniards in the group. UEFA have only placed Ajax ahead of the Blues on alphabetical order because the main differentiator for clubs tied in points – head-to-head record – kicks in after all six matches have been played. For all sorts of reasons the game at the Bridge in 10 days’ time is now unmissable.

Coming up

It’s an equally busy 10 days for bottom club Watford, who welcome Chelsea to Vicarage Road next Saturday. The Hornets host Bournemouth this weekend, then travel to Everton for a Carabao Cup round four tie on Tuesday.

A third London derby in succession comes on Sunday for Chelsea Women in the form of West Ham in a 3pm start at the Rush Green stadium, Romford. Emma Hayes’s side have already beaten the hosts 2-0 this season in the Conti Cup.

The men's development squad, the only unbeaten side in the PL2 after last weekend’s 3-1 drubbing of Arsenal, play Everton at Southport’s Haig Avenue ground on Saturday, a 2pm kick-off.

Winter draws on

Clocks are turned back an hour this weekend as British Summer Time makes way for Greenwich Mean Time. That signals the return of the luminous matchball used over the winter months, which this season is the Hi-Vis Merlin. Winter plumage was formally introduced in the Premier League 15 years ago and Chelsea’s first goal with the yellow ball was an Arjen Robben classic on 6 November at home to Everton.

Capping a dazzling display, the Netherlands winger was sent clear down the right, hared straight for goal, and clipped into the net over Nigel Martyn. The budding champions went top that afternoon and stayed there for the duration.

Academy ‘invincibles’

Chelsea remain undefeated at Under-18 and Under-23 levels. The last time that was the still case for both age groups in mid-October was way back in 1984. Back then, Scots forward Duncan Shearer went on to score 27 goals for the reserves and Stokley Sawyers would manage 21 for the youth side. (Thanks to @ChelseaYouth for the info.)

Fourteen-year-old record retained

Liverpool’s draw at Old Trafford last weekend in their ninth league match means that Chelsea’s record of nine straight top-flight victories at the start of the 2005/06 season remains exceptional. The back-to-back champions’ then coach, Jose Mourinho, was in the Sky Sports studio to enjoy the moment.

Premier League fixtures

FridaySouthampton v Leicester 8pm (Sky Sports)

SaturdayManchester City v Aston Villa 12.30pm (BT Sport)Brighton v Everton 3pmWatford v Bournemouth 3pmWest Ham v Sheffield United 3pmBurnley v Chelsea 5.30pm (Sky Sports)

SundayNewcastle v Wolves 2pm (Sky Sports)Arsenal v Crystal Palace 4.30pmLiverpool v Tottenham 4.30pm (Sky Sports)Norwich v Manchester United 4.30pm

Premier League table

Click for the pre-match stats