Burnley v Chelsea, K/O 8pm

GavRedKing

Burnleys first game back in the EPL sees them welcome Chelsea on the opening weekend.

No team has a greater opening weekend record in the last decade than Chelsea P10 W9 D1.

We've seen Arsenal, Liverpool, Utd and City have tricky opening games and this will be no different, Burnley have nothing to fear and I expect that will be reflected in their play.

Jose has said the team that plays tonight is being decided on by which players are ready.

That being said, I think the Chelsea starting XI will be

Cech
Ivan Cahill Jt Azp
Matic Cesc
Schurrle Oscar Hazard
Costa

Bench : Courtois, Zouma, Luis, Mikel, Willian, Salah, Torres.

3-1 Chelsea


Oh and until we hear otherwise, no vines/gifs of tonights game please.

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

kfallon

Courtois to start, Chelsea to win 2-0 with Costa scoring!

Professional Griefer

GavRedKing wrote: »

Cech
Ivan Cahill Jt Azp
Matic Cesc
Schurrle Oscar Hazard
Costa

Bench : Courtois, Zouma, Luis, Mikel, Willian, Salah, Torres.

You dont think Luis wil start?

GavRedKing

kfallon wrote: »

Courtois to start, Chelsea to win 2-0 with Costa scoring!

Very possible he'll start alright.

The rags think he'll get the mod, by and large.

TBH, it doesnt matter who we start with both are excellent GK's but Courtois is the future so I'd rather we sort his future by handing him a big extension and pay rise.

Bounty Hunter

Coutois or Cech seems like the big talking point here. has Shirley been back training long? did he play in pre-season unlike özil and co at Arsenal ?

GavRedKing

Professional Griefer wrote: »

You dont think Luis wil start?

I'd be confident he wouldnt start, I'd love if in the next few weeks we had a natural LB and RB in Luis and Azp on the flanks but I think Jose will go with what he knows and trusts as Burnley will be no mugs so a combination of Azp and Ivan is what I'd expect.

billymitchell

No Pogba?

GavRedKing

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

Coutois or Cech seems like the big talking point here. has Shirley been back training long? did he play in pre-season unlike özil and co at Arsenal ?

He came back last Monday and hes played in 2 pre season games. He "setup" Costas second against Socidead with his effort off the post.

He looks like he was never away really and I think he came back earlier than Ozil, Mert and Podolski but hes also featured less in the WC than Ozil.

Our only other option is Salah who has been excellent to shocking in this pre-season, his finishing is erratic, putting it mildly and his decision making is questionnable. No dobuting hes a good player but hes to inconsistent in what he does but both salah and Schurrle offer more of an attacking, goal threat than Willian, IMO.

kfallon

GavRedKing wrote: »

Very possible he'll start alright.

The rags think he'll get the mod, by and large.

TBH, it doesnt matter who we start with both are excellent GK's but Courtois is the future so I'd rather we sort his future by handing him a big extension and pay rise.

Yeah I think he'll start purely because he's the future, he could be Chelsea's no.1 for a very, very long time!

Looking forward to seeing Costa this season, think he'll run amok in the PL!

GavRedKing

billymitchell wrote: »

No Pogba?

Not this week, probably be available for the Everton match. :pac:

GavRedKing

kfallon wrote: »

Yeah I think he'll start purely because he's the future, he could be Chelsea's no.1 for a very, very long time!

Looking forward to seeing Costa this season, think he'll run amok in the PL!

Ya, Courtois is the long term option, when Cech started his Chelsea career he was the same age is Courtois and replacing a good GK in Cudicni, the wheel has come full circle in that regard.

Costa has looked very good in pre-season but that means nothing when the season starts,considering what we're comparing him too last season that wouldnt be hard either. I'd still love another CF in place of Torres but thats highly unlikely, unless someone takes him off us.

If we lose Costa to injury/suspension we'll really suffer, IMO.

weiland79

Here's hoping we start the season with our new CF tearing Burnley a new one this evening.

C'mon the blues!

Paully D

It's great to have Monday Night Football back. Neville and Carragher's analysis and detail of same is highly refreshing and they usually give all of the Saturday and Sunday action at least some bit of good discussion.

As for the game itself, I think it may be close. Burnley are one of those teams you could see starting quite well especially at home before fading further and further as the season goes on and most of the Chelsea team were at the World Cup.

I'd agree with Gav's team except I think Courtois starts and perhaps Willian ahead of Schurrle.

I'll go for 0-1 Chelsea.

Iused2likebusts

Looking forward to seeing how Trippier and Ings do in the premier league. Trippier in particular is a great prospect. Burnley were 4 4 2 last season and looks like they will be tonight with Ings dropping off Jutkiewicz. Have to fancy a chelsea win but hope burnley give a good account of themselves my dad's a Burnley fan for 50 odd years.

Augmerson

1-0 Burnley.

GavRedKing

Paully D wrote: »

It's great to have Monday Night Football back. Neville and Carragher's analysis and detail of same is highly refreshing and they usually give all of the Saturday and Sunday action at least some bit of good discussion.

As for the game itself, I think it may be close. Burnley are one of those teams you could see starting quite well especially at home before fading further and further as the season goes on and most of the Chelsea team were at the World Cup.

I'd agree with Gav's team except I think Courtois starts and perhaps Willian ahead of Schurrle.

I'll go for 0-1 Chelsea.

I'm flip flopping on the starting XI.

The one I'd like to see would include Courtois and Luis but Jose might play it safe, or as safe as can be with a potential starting XI costing over 200m.

I will say Burnely will be no mugs or pushovers and they'll play with no fear and why should they?

First game back and a Monday night it'll be a party atmosphere, nobody is expecting them to win so theyve no pressure, any points would be welcomed by Burnley.

hots

Don't expect Luis or Schurrle to start but probably Courtois... Really looking forward to tonight's game, expecting it to be close but 3 points.

GavRedKing

hobbit of the shire wrote: »

Don't expect Luis or Schurrle to start but probably Courtois... Really looking forward to tonight's game, expecting it to be close but 3 points.

The alternative to Schurrle is Willian or Salah, you'd imagine.

I'm not to happy if it was Salah, hes been inconsistent all pre-season.

Richard Hillman

I have just been off the phone to Richard Scudamore himself. He says match threads about Barclays Premier League games and talking about Barclays Premier League games have now been added to the list copyright infringement regulations.

GavRedKing

there wont be much chat anyway unless we lose the game :pac:

RichT

GavRedKing wrote: »

there wont be much chat anyway unless we lose the game :pac:

My



Say No!!

ConstantJoe

Didn't Burnley give one of the big teams a shock in their first game the last time they were in the premier league?

Burnley will go out there without fear, but I think Chelsea will do the job required. 2 - 0.

GavRedKing

ConstantJoe wrote: »

Didn't Burnley give one of the big teams a shock in their first game the last time they were in the premier league?

Burnley will go out there without fear, but I think Chelsea will do the job required. 2 - 0.

They beat Utd when Utd were champions, think they won 1-0.

Iused2likebusts

GavRedKing wrote: »

They beat Utd when Utd were champions, think they won 1-0.

Ye first two home games last time burnley were in Prem were utd won 1 0 and Everton won 1 0. They also drew with Arsenal 1 1 and Terry got a very late goal to give chelsea a 1 0 win at turf Moor.

GavRedKing

Courtois is widely reported to be starting tonight, of course its a 50/50 guess but alot of people are saying its him to start.

Either which way we're sorted for a GK.

Barr

Hat trick for Costa tonight

Either that or get a straight red within the first 3 minutes

GavRedKing

Barr wrote: »

Hat trick for Costa tonight

Either that or get a straight red within the first 3 minutes

I'd take a sneaky 1-0 right now, follow City, Arsenal and Pool on picking up 3 points.

Those 3 are our main rivals for the league this year and it might be the first game but losing it isnt exactly the best start for a team that has cost so much to put together.

Barr

With Costa I feel we are actually starting with a striker that can score goals. Makes a nice change.

No doubt tonight will be tough , but with Cesc & Costa I can see goals

GavRedKing

Barr wrote: »

With Costa I feel we are actually starting with a striker that can score goals. Makes a nice change.

No doubt tonight will be tough , but with Cesc & Costa I can see goals

Makes a huge change alright that a team will actually be occupied by our CF for a change.

With Torres at his best for us he might score and he'd be invovled in the build up, at his worse it was like starting with 10 men, there wasnt to many good moments.

At Costas worse hes going to be involved and occupy a few defenders, I'm already more confident for this year but opening weekend is pretty hard to call.

eagle eye

GavRedKing wrote: »

Makes a huge change alright that a team will actually be occupied by our CF for a change.

With Torres at his best for us he might score and he'd be invovled in the build up, at his worse it was like starting with 10 men, there wasnt to many good moments.

At Costas worse hes going to be involved and occupy a few defenders, I'm already more confident for this year but opening weekend is pretty hard to call.

I have to say that I always thought that even with Torres not scoring goals that he was always very tightly marked and made good runs which took defenders out of position.

I feel he had a lot more to do with Chelsea scoring that people were giving him credit for.

Costa is a class act but its very difficult to play that position for Mourinho. I think he will do fine but I'd expect it will take him a couple of games before we see him really get going.

peteeeed

Courtois starting according sky sports news

bad2dabone

I'd expect Chelsea to match the other title contenders and pick up three points this evening.
3-0 to them

chelseaaremagic

Courtois or cech .........it should be obvious to anyone who's in the ground.....ie the intensity of the warm up....I cant take the suspence

chelseaaremagic

Courtois or cech .........it should be obvious to anyone who's in the ground.....ie the intensity of the warm up....I cant take the suspence

eagle eye

Imo Courtois is already one of the top five keepers in the world, he has to start. He might even be the best in the world already. His command of his area is second to none anyways.

peteeeed

Chelsea team v Burnley: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

peteeeed

: Subs v Burnley: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Willian, Torres, Drogba.

GavRedKing

I called it apart from Cech. anyway very happy with that XI.

GavRedKing

Burnley team??

LightningBlue

GavRedKing wrote: »

Burnley team??

Burnley XI vs Chelsea: Heaton; Trippier, Shackell, Duff, Mee; Arfield, Jones, Marney, Taylor; Ings, Jutkiewicz.

Dozen Wicked Words

Some big units in the Chelsea team now, you'd hope they'd be solid defending set pieces with that team anyway.

GavRedKing

Excited now for the game. No more little horses bo**ocks Jose, this is your team now, your players lets go do something , no excuses.

Soups123

1 nil to Burnley with the keeper making a howler

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Very very solid Chelsea team. I have always preferred Cesc playing a bit further back in midfield personally.

Only real question mark is how the team will hold up if Costa either doesn't hit the ground running or gets injured.

Oat23

peteeeed wrote: »

Chelsea team v Burnley: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

peteeeed wrote: »

: Subs v Burnley: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Willian, Torres, Drogba.

Could you guys maybe sell or loan Salah?

With thanks,
Egypt.

GavRedKing

Soups123 wrote: »

1 nil to Burnley with the keeper making a howler

If this happens i want the lotto numbers too

GavRedKing

Oat23 wrote: »

Could you guys maybe sell or loan Salah?

With thanks,
Egypt.

If he was more consistent he'd make the squad. We dont have to sell or loan home as he doesnt count towards the non homegrown list due to his age. He'll get chances this season but i hope his finishing and decision making improves.

LightningBlue

GavRedKing wrote: »

If he was more consistent he'd make the squad. We dont have to sell or loan home as he doesnt count towards the non homegrown list due to his age. He'll get chances this season but i hope his finishing and decision making improves.

Salah was born in 1992 so he counts as over 21 for PL registration this season so he will take a Non Homegrown spot AFAIK.

He had the whole of preseason to nail down a place in the team and wasn't consistent enough. I'm surprised he didn't make the squad tonight though.

SureYWouldntYa

LightningBlue wrote: »

Salah was born in 1992 so he counts as over 21 for PL registration this season so he will take a Non Homegrown spot AFAIK.

He had the whole of preseason to nail down a place in the team and wasn't consistent enough. I'm surprised he didn't make the squad tonight though.

I'd rather see Salah coming on than Torres

Barr

Delighted Courtois is starting , I think Jose has made the right call