'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Pundit Mark Lawrenson has backed Chelsea to continue their good form and beat Burnley in their Premier League clash at Turf Moor on Saturday, October 7.
The Blues had a very bad start to the campaign, with just one win in six Premier League games. However, they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in the EFL Cup third round before winning 2-0 at Fulham in the Premier League on October 3.
The west London side are currently 11th in the league table, eight points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.
Burnley, meanwhile, have had an even poorer start to their campaign after getting promoted to the English top-flight. They have lost five of their seven games and drawn one. Their only win, though, came in their last game against Luton Town. They are four points behind the Blues in the table in18th.
A win just before the international break could be crucial for either side. In his column for Paddy Power, Lawrenson has backed Chelsea to get that win as he wrote:
"I think beating Fulham was a big result for Chelsea, not just the fact that they won and Mykhailo Mudryk scored but also it’s the local rivalry. They can build on that and I think they will here."
Prediction: 0-2
Mauricio Pochettino heaps praise on Chelsea's defense
While the Blues have struggled in terms of goalscoring with just seven goals in seven Premier League games, their defense has been formidable. Chelsea have conceded just six goals in the league so far, joint-second with Arsenal and just one goal more than Manchester City. They have kept three clean sheets as well.
In an interview ahead of their clash against Burnley, Mauricio Pochettino was asked about his side's defense and he said (via the club's website):
"We have good players, no? The defence is doing well but the whole team when we don’t have the ball is doing a fantastic job. The commitment is amazing. That is the start."
He added:
"If you want to be a good team and to challenge for big things, it is difficult if you are not solid in your defensive line."
"Look what happened here two years ago, Chelsea won the Champions League after not scoring too many goals but by not conceding. It is really important to have this feeling that we are difficult to beat and score against."
Pochettino is referring to the Blues' UEFA Champions League triumph in the 2020-21 season, where they conceded just four goals in 13 games in the tournament.
