Having a robust Claret over a long Sunday lunch at home sounds like the halcyon days may just be as good as it gets in lockdown. The main course is Chelsea versus Burnley at Stamford Bridge and Sean Dyche, the third longest-serving coach across the English league system, takes on the most recent arrival, Thomas Tuchel.

Dominance of the ball on Wednesday was not enough to hand TT a racing start, but the Bavarian will have had more days to instil his approach and prepare for this second successive league action at the Bridge. ‘If we take care of our performance like this,’ he said, ‘the results will come.’

This is the second trip to west London in eight days for the Lancastrians. While Chelsea were seeing off Luton in the FA Cup, the Clarets were at the Cottage eliminating Fulham, and they have also won three of their past four league games in the capital.

The Blues, though, are aiming for a fourth successive victory against Burnley, and are unbeaten in six against the visitors. The game could provide a stark clash of styles: on Wednesday Tuchel’s side registered the highest possession and accurate passes ever recorded by a Chelsea team in the Premier League, while so far this season the Clarets have managed the fewest completions and third-lowest control of the ball.

Chelsea team news

What did we learn from Thomas Tuchel’s first game other than his passionate involvement from the sideline will surely engage supporters when we are allowed back? He has already expressed an ease with the complex technical and emotional requirements of his new role, and wants energy, effectiveness and success. After that the ‘soft side of success’ – easy-on-eye performances – will come.

The set-up on Wednesday was three at the back, as the Blues have played in two of the past three meetings with the Old Gold side, then two central midfielders, two pushed-on wing-backs, two narrower forwards, and a striker.

The wing-backs saw a lot of the ball and Callum Hudson-Odoi took to the new position brilliantly. After an intense 30 minutes, keeping and recovering possession high upfield, the Londoners’ domination lacked the ingenuity to carve open the visitors.

The Blues’ 79 per cent possession and 832 passes were both the highest by Chelsea in the top flight since records began in 2003/04. Where the Bavarian might have been less satisfied is his team’s performance between and beyond Wanderers’ lines.

The head coach admitted his experience-heavy first team selection was harsh on Chelsea’s ‘young and hungry’ players, and substitutes Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic created a late flurry of openings, confirming his positive impression of the Cobham crew’s quality.

Man of the match Hudson-Odoi revealed the coach asked that he and other offensive players be direct, keep pushing and probing, and use a variety of final-pass options. It was fruitless on the night despite openings for him, Ben Chilwell and Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz was unluckily deprived of a last-minute headed winner.

Defensively, against timid but dangerous opponents, the Blues always looked comfortable and avoided many of those direct counter-attacks that have been damaging this term.

Tuchel has already said how much he welcomes the return of fit-again N’Golo Kante, a player he has admired for years. He sees the World Cup winner as a ‘double six’ – one of two central midfielders. Meanwhile, Edou Mendy’s eighth clean sheet means only City’s Ederson has managed a higher rate per match this season.

The Bavarian will now have more training sessions to impose his method on a squad with which he will be more familiar, and refine his tactics further against another defensive team.

Clarets in the clear?

Burnley’s early position at the foot of the table resulted in part from the postponement of their opening game at home to Manchester Utd, who exited the Europa League late into the summer.

Things improved from the end of November, as the Clarets climbed out of the relegation zone, and they rose to 15th by ending Liverpool’s unbeaten run a week ago.

That was through a penalty drawn and dispatched by Ashley Barnes – his first away goal in the Premier League since November 2019. After Wednesday’s 3-2 follow-up victory over Aston Villa, Chris Wood is their leading marksman, though with four, the lowest in the top flight.

Wood’s typical header continued a sudden vein of form for Burnley’s forwards. Barnes’s goal was his second in 24 games, and at Fulham in the FA Cup Jay Rodriguez steered home his first goal of the season.

You know what to expect from Burnley, not least in personnel. Sean Dyche has relied on 21 players in this season’s competition; only Aston Villa’s Dean Smith, with 20, has fielded fewer. They rarely build from the back, touch the ball fewer times than other top-flight clubs, and are among the teams most flagged for offside.

People talk a lot about ‘long balls’ but it is Liverpool and Chelsea who have attempted the most passes of 30 yards or more, with Burnley fifth. However, while the Blues’ completion rate is close to 70 per cent and the Reds not far behind, Burnley’s 48 per cent suggests less precision in the aim, and they are responsible for more head-high and headed passes than any of their rivals.

Dyche’s men have made the fewest successful tackles, yet their recovery of the ball is better than Chelsea’s and indeed all but six other clubs. Only Manchester City and Everton compete for the ball better in the air.

In some ways this will be good training for the upcoming Atletico matches. Burnley are likely to apply the same force-field around their box, hoping to restrict the hosts to shots from distance and crosses they are confident of repelling.

Although the Clarets are regarded as strong in that respect, they have conceded more shots on goal than anyone except West Brom, as well as carving out the second fewest for themselves.

Their forest of bodies blocks more attempts on goal than most, however, and goalkeeper Nick Pope has made a higher percentage of saves per shot than all custodians except those of Tottenham and Villa. Only five clubs have a better record on clean sheets.

How to watch Chelsea vs Burnley

This match will again be covered live by BT Sport in the UK. To find the relevant broadcaster where you are elsewhere, see the Premier League’s broadcast schedule pages. Highlights will be available on this website from 4pm.

Our Matchday Live show’s early team news, exclusive interviews and analysis are available worldwide on the 5th Stand app, Facebook Live and the official YouTube channel.

Beating the champions

Earlier this month Burnley took all three points at Anfield, only their second ever win away to defending champions of the Premier League. The first was at Stamford Bridge in August 2017 against Antonio Conte’s recently-crowned Chelsea, but that is the Clarets’ lone victory at the home of the Blues in nearly half a century.

Chelsea Women make history

Chelsea Women won 4-0 at Aston Villa on Wednesday to set a new WSL record of 32 matches unbeaten, a two-year run comprising 25 wins and seven draws. The defending champions last lost in January 2019 to Birmingham, and Emma Hayes has hailed her current stars as ‘the best Chelsea team I’ve ever had.’

The league leaders are next in action against mid-table Tottenham on Sunday, a 12.30pm kick-off at Kingsmeadow that will be covered live on BBC Red Button from 12.20pm, as well as on the FA Player app.

Burnley programme

Sunday’s matchday programme features an exclusive interview with Thiago Silva, who offers his thoughts on the two coaches he has now played under at Chelsea. It is available for £3.50 plus postage here.

Premier League fixtures