Burnley
mark their return to the Premier League when they play host to title
favourites Chelsea in the first Monday Night Football of the season.
Sean Dyche's men could not have asked for a harder start to life back in the
top flight with Jose Mourinho's star-studded Chelsea the first visitors to
Turf Moor.
Burnley have already been tipped as many people's favourites to suffer
relegation, but Dyche's men will hoping to prove the sceptics wrong again
just like they did last season in the Championship.
Burnley have not beaten Chelsea in a top-flight match since a 1-0 victory at
Turf Moor on 28 August 1973 and the Blues boast a formidable record on the
opening weekend of the season.
Mourinho will be keen to see his side get off to a winning start after
watching title rivals Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool all kick off
their campaigns with victories over the weekend.
Mourinho insists Chelsea are serious title contenders this season after
another massive outlay in the transfer market to bolster a squad which
finished third last term.
However, he feels the Clarets pose a real threat in the opening game in
Lancashire.
"’It’s a dangerous start," he told Sky Sports, "because it’s a game that
almost everybody expects you to win and almost nobody realises how difficult
it can be."
Burnley were runners-up in the Championship last season, securing automatic
promotion with 93 points.
Mourinho feels that their habit of winning will continue as they start the
new season.
''At the same time, Burnley is a winning team," he added in an interview
with Geoff Shreeves.
"It is a team that in the last month they won and won and won until they
were promoted, so the feeling is not a feeling of a team in trouble in the
Premier League.
"It is the feeling of a team that comes as one of the champions in the
Championship so I think they’re dangerous."
Sam Vokes, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in
March, is the only Burnley player missing for Monday's clash.
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton has been declared fit to play despite missing several
pre-season games with a calf injury.
Summer signings Lukas Jutkiewicz, Michael Kightly, Steven Reid, Marvin
Sordell and Matt Taylor will hope to make their debuts.
Mourinho will keep Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech guessing on which
goalkeeper will start Chelsea's Premier League clash at Burnley on Monday
night.
Striker Didier Drogba is expected to shake off an ankle problem to be passed
fit for action, with Diego Costa and Fernando Torres also in contention.
Opta Stats:
The Blues are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League matches played on a
Monday.
Cesc Fabregas has scored in each of his two Premier League appearances
against Burnley.
Burnley lost both games against Chelsea during their only previous Premier
League season (2009/10).
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