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As we enter the final four games of the season, the run-in of games only gets tougher, no matter the opponent, because the pressure on each and every player is immense. The 35th matchday is here, and Chelsea's opponent for the game is Burnley FC, who have proved to be a strong team to score against, at times.
With Arsenal failing to take advantage of Chelsea's defeat to Liverpool after succumbing to a 3-2 loss against Crystal Palace at the Emirates, Chelsea have a chance to go 3 points ahead of their city rivals Arsenal, and two points ahead of Tottenham, on 3rd. Although Tottenham play Brighton, Arsenal will have to travel to Molineux as they face Wolves, a team which has been exceptionally robust against the Big Six. Chelsea should be able to take advantage of tonight's game.
Though it should be a walkover for Sarri's men, let's look at why Chelsea should be on their toes for the whole 90 minutes and cannot afford to drop any point against a 15th-placed side.
#3 Maurizio Sarri's men have a potential chance to go third
From the top six, only Liverpool have played an extra game than the rest. Tonight would be Chelsea's 35th game of the season, and every game from now on is a must-win for each team competing for the top four.
Chelsea fought tooth and nail against Liverpool at Anfield, but the Blues were unable to get a result. Sarri will likely be without his key defender Rudiger, as the German limped off at Anfield after picking up a knee injury.
Chelsea conceded 3 goals at home against a relatively weaker side than Burnley without Rudiger in the line-up, which tells us Chelsea will have to be a strong side defensively in order to get the win tonight.
#2 Taking Manchester United out of the race
What makes this game even more interesting is that Man United play Man City next, and they're likely to succumb to a defeat considering their form, and if Chelsea win, they will be 5 points above Manchester United, potentially ending Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dreams of playing UCL football next season.
On the other hand, Arsenal have a tough away fixture against the Wolves. Fun fact, Wolves took 4 points out of the available 6 against Chelsea, whereas the most Chelsea could do is take one point and that too through Hazard's solo brilliance. Chelsea have been overpowered by Wolves, and Arsenal are yet to win a game against them too.
If Arsenal and Man United lose their respective games, Chelsea get a chance to solidify their position on 4th as they will be 3 points above Arsenal and 5 above Man United. It's a huge chance for the Blues to capitalize on.
#1 Three very tough games coming up for Chelsea after playing Burnley
Chelsea might get a win tonight against Burnley, but their rest of the games can tilt any way, depending upon who the better side is. Chelsea's final three games are against Man United, Watford and Leicester. The fact that the Blues have only bagged 4 points out of the available 9 will play a huge role as the opposing teams would have an upper hand in confidence; Leicester won 1-0 against Chelsea and Man United took a point against Chelsea, both at Stamford Bridge.
The game against Burnley is a must-win for the home side as neither Sarri nor the players can correctly predict the result of the remaining three games. Man United are surely struggling now, but they have a rich history of coming up big against the top six, and they are not to be underestimated.
If Chelsea win tonight, the pressure amongst the players will be less for the remainder of the games, and their chances for a top-four finish will tremendously improve.
