Cahill ready to ‘churn’ out win
Gary Cahill believes Chelsea’s trip to Burnley today will prove a strong barometer of their chances of success this term. The former England defender has challenged the Blues to grind out wins against lower-ranked opponents in a bid to sustain their strong Premier League start.
Maurizio Sarri’s men must fight to extend their unbeaten league start to 10 matches at Turf Moor, with the Italian boss hoping Eden Hazard can shake off back trouble in time to feature. “These are the games you need to win if you’re going to be at the top and compete come the end of the season,” said Cahill.
“This is a difficult game, everyone knows that. So these are the games you have to churn out the victories in. That’s the way I’ve seen it over the years.
“But we’re prepared, the momentum’s good, the form’s good, so we’ve nothing in that respect to fear. But we’re very respectful of how strong Burnley are at home, having proved that last season.”
Sarri has insisted a title challenge is too much to ask this term, as he asserts his authority in south-west London. While the Blues have kept pace with the frontrunners so far, Cahill insists it is too soon to gauge whether Sarri’s men can push the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City the full distance.
“Talk to me again about all that in January or February: I’ve been here loads of times and before Christmas you just don’t see where it’s going to go,” said Cahill.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche, meanwhile, hopes his side can cope better with Chelsea than they managed against Manchester City in a 5-0 defeat last week.
“You are trying to learn from those games, of course, but you are not measuring yourself against those sides,” Dyche said.