Chelsea

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Burnley and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Burnley fans

Paul: Very poor. Chelsea were the worst team at Turf Moor all season after the Clarets. There for the taking, but Burnley had nothing. Scott Parker out.

Michael: Terrible. Got to start a front man. Maybe it is time for Armando Broja to step up or it is back to the Championship.

Shaun: Absolutely rubbish - no communication and no team spirit. Chelsea destroyed them and deserved the win.

Dougie: Pleased to note that Turf Moor has a Jimmy McIlroy stand. Outstanding player saw him a few times in Belfast playing for Northern Ireland. Wasn't a player on either side in this game fit to lace his boots.

Chelsea fans

John: Bang average against a relegation candidate, but a win is a win. We will have to improve to win our next few games against better opponents.

Scott: Yet again, Enzo Maresca's in-game management could easily have cost us this game with substitutions that invited pressure. It was only moments of player quality that got us the three points, and the fact that Burnley are very poor.

Julian: For quite a bit of the game, it seemed many of Chelsea's players were suffering from an international hangover. However, that second goal gets better every time I watch it. Three points in what could have been a banana skin of a fixture.

Chris: Another average performance to overcome Burnley. Marc Cucurella was brilliant again, but why does Maresca insist on playing Liam Delap ahead of MArc Guiu? He seems to have his 'favourites' who play whenever, and we can't afford that attitude. We will see how good we are, or how good Maresca thinks we are, next Sunday against Arsenal.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but the 23-year-old Brazilian is also attracting interest from Arsenal and Barcelona. (Caught Offside), external

Meanwhile, Pedro Neto, 25, has emerged as a transfer target for Barcelona with sporting director Deco a big fan of his compatriot. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Finally Dayot Upamecano, 27, is out of contract at the end of the season, but Bayern Munich's France defender, who is being monitored by Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Liverpool, has distanced himself from a potential big-money January move to Chelsea. (Metro), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos says his display against Burnley was his best Premier League performance for the club ahead of a crucial week.

The 21-year-old completed his first full 90 minutes in the competition during Saturday's 2-0 win at Turf Moor.

Previously, Santos had been substituted at half-time and after 54 minutes in his other two league starts.

Asked about his performance — in which he was named man of the match while playing a deep midfield role as Moises Caicedo was rested — Santos said: "Yes, of course, I think today is my best performance.

"I think the adaptation is a little bit hard because the Premier League is the toughest championship in the world.

"But now my teammates have helped me a lot. I'm so happy to be here in the Premier League."

Chelsea moved up to second in the Premier League ahead of a week that sees them face Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, followed by Arsenal in the league next Sunday.

Santos added: "Yes, of course. When you talk about the Champions League, it's always amazing. I always dream of these big games. Now we have Barcelona, and we hope we are ready to fight and try to win the game.

"Barcelona first and then Arsenal. It's a great week. We are Chelsea — we work hard and want to win every game."

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Rob Green join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Newcastle 2-1 Manchester City

• Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest

• Fulham 1-0 Sunderland

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has calmed fears that Reece James was injured during the 2-0 win at Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues captain came off at half-time and was replaced by fellow defender Benoît Badiashile, as goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez secured victory for the Londoners at Turf Moor.

Maresca explained the switch after the match that it was a premeditated substitution.

"Yes, the idea was to manage Reece [James]. This is the reason why he played 45 minutes – it was planned."

The rotation and rest for key players in a dominant victory seemed like perfect preparation for a week in which Chelsea welcomes Barcelona and Arsenal to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League and Premier League.

Maresca, marking his 50th league match as Chelsea manager, left star midfielder Moises Caicedo on the bench throughout and was pleased his deputy, Andrey Santos – who won man of the match – shone in his absence.

"Andrey's position is the position he played today," Maresca added. "With us, most of the time he plays a little higher because in that position we have Moises, so we try to find solutions and space for Andrey."

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella was outstanding in both defensive and attacking moments, inspiring the breakthrough goal.

The Blues were not at their best against Burnley at Turf Moor, but his unlikely run into a striker's position helped Neto break the deadlock.

Roaming from his usual left-back role, Cucurella found himself in a number nine position, brought the ball down like a target man and laid it off for Gittens to cross for Neto's header.

That clever movement proved impossible to track, and a subsequent run into midfield created a chance for Liam Delap, which he squandered. Delap now has only one goal in 13 matches since joining Chelsea.

Cucurella repeated that same movement into a striker's position twice in the second half, mounting a further blocked shot and producing a similar lay-off to a team-mate.

There is no doubt Cucurella was Chelsea's star on the day, and he is in the conversation alongside Cole Palmer and Caicedo as one of the club's very best players.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to BBC Match of the Day: "I'm very happy, this kind of win, we needed it. After the international break, 12:30, Burnley away, it's complicated. So I'm very happy with the result and the performance.

"They defended very well and didn't give us many spaces to attack. It was complicated. I think it's complicated to come here and don't concede. They only add one big chance in the second half, if you ask me. Overall, we created more chances and deserved to win.

"I'm very happy with the goal. The ball from Jamie Gittens was very good, and Pedro Neto got to score. I am very happy for them."

On Andrey Santos' performance: "Andrey's position is number six. With us, he is also playing in other positions, which is not his best. But he's a good boy and works hard. We are happy."

On Reece James being substituted at half-time: "Yes, it was planned for 45 minutes."

Chelsea's Jamie Gittens speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It was a hard-fought win to come to Burnley and get three points, is good for us. We feel more confident.

"We expected it to be a really tough game and fighting for the second balls, and we did really well today. To come back and play at 12:30 on Saturday is not easy, and I am happy we got the win."

On his assist for Pedro Neto's goal: "I have been working on that in training, and it came off in the game. I am happy it came off. Pedro got there in the end.

"We are definitely more confident and more comfortable playing with each other. We are going to keep working hard as a team."

Did you know?

• Chelsea have won each of their last eight Premier League games kicking off at 12:30 on a Saturday, with only Manchester City enjoying a longer run of successive victories in this specific kick-off slot in the competition (9 wins in a row from May 2021 to Oct 2022).

• No manager has been shown more Premier League cards since the start of last season than Chelsea's Enzo Maresca (8 – level with Fabian Hurzeler).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Burnley's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Burnley are unchanged, while former Blues striker Armando Broja is fit enough to make the bench.

Burnley XI: Dubravka, Walker, Tuanzebe, Esteve, Hartman, Cullen, Luis, Tchaouna, Ugochukwu, Anthony, Flemming

Subs: Weiss, Ekdal, Laurent, Pires, Mejbri, Edwards, Foster, Bruun Larsen, Broja

Chelsea make four with Reece James, Jamie Gittens, Tosin Adarabioyo and Andrey Santos coming in after the win over Wolves before the international break.

After playing two lots of 90 minutes for Ecuador over the international break, Moises Caicedo is only deemed fit enough for the bench with Barcelona and Arsenal coming up.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro, Gittens, Delap

Subs: Jorgensen, Gusto, Badiashile, Hato, Acheampong, Caicedo, Estevao, Garnacho, Guiu

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Burnley v Chelsea (12:30)

• Bournemouth v West Ham

• Brighton v Brentford

• Fulham v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Crystal Palace

• Newcastle v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Man City", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Burnley resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday when they host high-flying Chelsea at Turf Moor. BBC Sport touches on some of the key themes surrounding this fixture.

Burnley's defeat at West Ham United before the international break felt like a damaging one.

A win would have put Scott Parker's side six points clear of their opponents and the relegation zone, but their 3-2 loss means they only sit above the 18th-placed Hammers on goal difference.

The Clarets took a first-half lead, mustered 16 shots to West Ham's 15 and enjoyed more possession – and Parker felt that his players let victory slip from their grasp.

"We played well," said the manager after the match. "But that's irrelevant now. We've lost the game and fallen short in crucial moments, and in the Premier League you can't afford to do that."

Home comforts

Seven of Burnley's 10 points this season have come at home and they will welcome a return to Turf Moor this weekend.

The Lancashire club have only lost two league matches at their stadium since the start of last season (W16, D10) – one of those was to defending champions Liverpool and the other to Premier League leaders Arsenal. In England's top four tiers, only Birmingham City have suffered fewer home defeats in that time.

Dutch forward Zian Flemming's recent form is another reason for optimism. Curiously, 12 of Flemming's 15 league goals in a Burnley shirt have come on the road, including all three this season, but if he can find the net this weekend then he would become just the second player to score four or more times in his first five Premier League starts for the club since Maxwel Cornet.

Blues love playing on enemy Turf

Chelsea have enjoyed a lunchtime kick-off of late, having won their past seven Premier League outings at 12:30 on a Saturday.

Only three sides have enjoyed a longer winning streak at this time: Manchester United in 2003 with eight; Chelsea themselves with eight between May 2005 and December 2017; and Manchester City with nine from May 2021 to October 2022.

The west Londoners also relish their visits to this particular corner of east Lancashire.

The Blues have never suffered a Premier League defeat at Turf Moor, winning eight of their nine games there (D1), including the past six. In fact, they have only lost once to Burnley in 18 Premier League meetings both home and away - a 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge in August 2017.

Alejandro Garnacho was an unused substitute on his previous trip to Turf Moor with Manchester United, but he should feature this weekend on what will be his 100th Premier League appearance.

The Argentine is set to become the youngest South American to reach that milestone – surpassing the previous record held by Gabriel Martinelli – and he will be hoping the recent international break has not disrupted his form. The winger provided two assists in a top-flight match for the first time during the 3-0 home triumph over Wolves last time out.

Chelsea might have to wait a bit longer for Cole Palmer's return from injury but their attack is already stronger with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap both back fit.

I still think this game will be quite tight, though. Burnley are well organised and their only home defeats so far have been against Liverpool and Arsenal.

This smells of a 1-1 draw to me, but I am actually going to go with Chelsea to edge it for what would be their third league win in a row.

Enzo Maresca's side are third at the moment and seem to have found more consistency than they had last season, although I still don't see them as genuine title contenders. They are not as strong as Arsenal or Manchester City.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League will from next season move to a new system of Financial Fair Play (FFP) based on squad costs.

The clubs met in London on Friday to vote on three possible methods of replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) got 14 votes in favour and six against, which is the minimum number that is required to exact a rule change.

Overall squad costs from next season will have to be limited to 85% of a club's revenue, although teams competing in Europe will have to adhere to Uefa's maximum of 70%.

Squad costs comprise player and manager wages, transfer fees and agents' fees.

Rules around sustainability, which set out a club's financial spending plans over the medium and long term, were passed unanimously.

Read more about the news and what it means here

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has announced the start and end dates for the 2026-27 season.

The first round of fixtures will take place across the weekend of 22 August 2026 - a week later than previous seasons.

The later start allows rest time for players - 89 clear days from the end of this season, and 33 days from the 2026 World Cup final.

The Premier League said the delay was a "priority" for player welfare in an "increasingly congested global football calendar".

The final matches of the season will be played on Sunday, 30 May 2027, with all fixtures kicking off simultaneously as usual.

The season will end a week before the 2027 Champions League final, which will be on Saturday, 5 June.

There will be 33 weekend and five midweek fixtures - the same as the current season.

For the festive period, the Premier League have said no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours.

It has not been confirmed if there will be any fixtures on 24 December 2026.

However, as Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the Premier League has said there will be more matches scheduled than this season, when there is only one.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Cole Palmer's latest set-back and what approach Enzo Maresca should take to cover his absence in the coming weeks.

Here are some of your comments:

Richard: No team should rely on one man. No team is one man. Although Cole Palmer is a brilliant player, and on more than one occasion has saved us, we should never rely on him. The Chelsea squad should be managed and perform with any of the players. We are now building a team that can achieve with whichever 11.

Gregory: Same forward line as against Wolves except Estevao Willian in for Pedro Neto. He deserves it after his great performances for Brazil. I also fancy Liam Delap to get a goal!

Rajeev: We don't need Palmer! Moises Caicedo has stepped up comprehensively in Palmer's absence and we need him a lot more.

Steve: Palmer's season goes from one hiccup to another. Forget the World Cup unless he gets free from injury. I hope he stays as sharp as he once was!

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea were described as "Cole Palmer FC" during his sensational first season at Stamford Bridge under Mauricio Pochettino.

Since Enzo Maresca took charge, Palmer has remained Chelsea's standout attacker. He won player of the tournament as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup and was man of the match in the 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the Conference League final.

Palmer will miss matches against Burnley, Barcelona and Arsenal, with doubts over his availability for the following fixtures against Leeds, Bournemouth and Atalanta.

The injury is understood not to be serious, but his bone will need time to heal. There are hopes he is over the worst of a recurring groin problem.

Palmer has played only four matches this season and has not featured since being substituted after 21 minutes in the defeat at Manchester United on 20 September.

However, Chelsea have won eight of their 11 matches without him, drawing one and losing two.

Players such as Estevao Willian, Facundo Buonanotte, Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro have stepped in during his absence.

How should Maresca best continue to cover Palmer in the upcoming key games? Have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Cole Palmer is set for a longer spell on the sidelines after suffering a fractured toe following an accident at home.

The 23-year-old had been due to return to team training this week after two months out with a groin issue, but he has now had an injury set-back after stubbing his toe on a door during the night.

Before the international break, it had been hoped he would be able to feature against Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday night, but he will now miss that game, plus Premier League matches against Burnley and leaders Arsenal.

"He is probably not available for Saturday for sure, Barcelona for sure or Arsenal for sure," said boss Enzo Maresca in his pre-match news conference.

Palmer has not played for the Blues since their 2-1 defeat by Manchester United on 20 September.

With the forward now out for some crucial upcoming games, how do you feel about the news? What is the best approach for Maresca to cover Palmer's absence?

Get in touch with your views here

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Turf Moor (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "Cole Palmer is probably not available for tomorrow. Unfortunately, he had an accident at home with his toe. But it's nothing important. For sure, he is not back next week. We don't know it's fractured. The only thing we know he is not available for this week and next week."

• Maresca said "I feel much better with Cole on the pitch" but feels Chelsea "need to find solutions" whenever he is unavailable. He emphasised his satisfaction with the collective level the squad has maintained in Palmer's absence.

• On other injuries: "Moi (Caicedo) came back last night, I will see him soon. He is good. Benoit (Badiashile) can be available for tomorrow. Enzo (Fernandez) and Pedro (Neto) used the break to recover their energy and their injuries. They are both available for tomorrow."

• Maresca also disclosed Axel Disasi spent the international break working with the "second team" and supporting the "younger players", a move framed as part of the club's broader development approach rather than a demotion. Maresca reiterated firmly that "Axel and Raheem (Sterling) are Chelsea players," reinforcing the point that both remain firmly in his plans.

• On Estevao: "He is back from international team where he scored two goals. He is very happy, and we are very happy with him."

• More on Palmer's toe problems: "The last time I saw him was yesterday morning, and he was without socks, without flip-flops, without nothing. I don't know how he is today. It was in the changing room. He wasn't limping, he seemed OK, but it's his small toe, so it can be painful. He was very close. He was back with us almost with the groin, which is very good news, but he has this small problem."

• On Malo Gusto: "We said many times that Malo is a main player in the way we want to play. He can play in different positions. We like players that we can be dynamic with. Malo, personally, I consider him a main player for us."

• On Burnley: "It will be a different game (from Wolves). We know that every game is different. Probably tomorrow we need to use different strategies, different weapons. No doubt that it's going to be a tough game, especially after an international break. At 12 in the morning away, it's always a tricky game, and we need to pay attention."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will likely be faced with questions about the return of Cole Palmer ahead of Burnley.

Reports suggest that he may hold his star attacker back from the Saturday lunchtime clash with Barcelona and Arsenal to come next week.

There is also concern about Moises Caicedo's availability given he played two lots of 90 minutes for Ecuador in friendly matches.

Maresca will likely also be asked to clarify whether 'bomb squad' member Axel Disasi has been promoted back into the main squad, with fellow defender Benoit Badiashile also expected back.

Chelsea and Manchester United could provide competition for Porto and Spain forward Samu Aghehowa, 21 (Caught Offside) , external

Liverpool are fighting to keep England youth winger Joshua Abe, with Arsenal and Chelsea both pursuing the 15-year-old. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport