Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor. The Clarets are well on course for a seventh-placed finish this season and could yet even sneak into the top six, while their opponents need all three points tonight if they are to keep alive their slim top-four hopes.

The Blues are more concerned about Sunday's FA Cup semi-final meeting with Southampton, however, which is likely to be reflected in Antonio Conte's team selection. This could therefore be a big chance for the hosts to pull off another shock result and climb above Arsenal into fifth, only strengthening the argument for Sean Dyche to be crowned Manager of the Year.

CHELSEA TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Emerson; Pedro, Morata, Giroud

SUBS: Caballero, Christensen, Zappacosta, Fabregas, Barkley, Willian, Hazard

A mixed starting lineup named by Conte, which includes not one by two strikers up top! The Italian has gone with a false nine in the past but, with Willian and Eden Hazard being named among the subs tonight, there is a chance for Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata to link up. Giroud got off the mark with his first league goals for the club in the 3-2 win over Southampton, while Morata has struggled for form over the past four months or so.

There is also a first Premier League start for Emerson Palmieri, who takes over from the suspended Marcos Alonso at wing-back. Victor Moses, Toni Rudiger and Tiemoue Bakayoko all return to the starting lineup, and there is also a place in attack - presumably out wide in a 3-4-3 - for Spanish forward Pedro. A big evening ahead in particular for Tiemoue Bakayoko, who takes over from Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the park and has a chance to show that he can indeed perform in the Premier League.

Ross Barkley is once again among Chelsea's subs and will surely get some playing time tonight, three months on from his last senior outing. For those keeping track, the England international has played just 131 minutes for the Blues since arriving in a £15m deal from Everton at the start of the year, but after coming through a number of training sessions he is ready to return to the field.

BURNLEY TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Pope; Lowton, Tarkowski, Long, Ward; Lennon, Westwood, Cork, Gudmundsson; Wood, Barnes

SUBS: Heaton, Taylor, Marney, Vokes, Hendrick, Wells, Bardsley

No great surprise to see Dyche go with an unchanged starting lineup as far as the hosts are concerned, sticking with the same XI that got the job done in that 2-1 win over Leicester City last weekend. Chris Wood found the net for the ninth time this season in the slender victory, while Ashley Barnes has seven to his name this season in 12 games more, albeit from a slightly more reserved position.

Nick Pope retains his spot between the sticks, despite Tom Heaton's return to fitness following a seven-month layoff through injury. In front of him are James Tarkowski and Kevin Long, the latter of whom slotted in well against Leicester in the prolonged absence of Ben Mee and even chipped in with the rarest of goals. Matt Lowton and Stephen Ward occupy the full-back berths.

While Wood and Barnes are tasked with leading the line, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Aaron Lennon will supply ammunition from the wide positions, and it is then down to Johann Gudmundsson and Jack Cork to protect the midfield. Chelsea have the more talented squad, even accounting for the six changes from their last outing, but this Clarets side is a sum of its parts and can certainly produce an upset tonight.

Antonio Conte makes six changes to Chelsea's starting lineup on the back of the 3-2 win against Southampton, with an eye on the upcoming FA Cup semi-final. Emerson Palmieri comes in for his Premier League debut and there is also a start for Olivier Giroud up top alongside Pedro and Alvaro Morata. Burnley boss Sean Dyche, meanwhile, sticks with an unchanged XI from the 2-1 win over Leicester City.

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Burnley head into this match sitting seventh in the Premier League table, just two points adrift of Arsenal. Victory tonight, in fact, and they are within five points of Chelsea and all of a sudden they will have a new target in sight. Simply finishing in their current position will be achievement enough for Dyche, though, and surely enough to bring European football to Turf Moor in 2018-19.

The 2-1 win over Leicester last weekend strengthened the Clarets' grip on seventh place, putting them nine points ahead of their closest challengers with less than a month of the campaign left to play. Burnley could lose each of their remaining matches and would still likely finish ahead of Leicester, who have lacked consistency for large parts of the campaign, most recently making a slow start here five days ago.

Southampton could still ruin Burnley's European plans by winning the FA Cup, and therefore taking the last remaining Europa League berth, so ironically Clarets fans will be cheering on the Blues this Sunday. Kevin Long and Chris Wood scored the all important goals in that European playoff of sorts against the Foxes last Saturday, rendering Jamie Vardy's strike a consolation in the end.

That was Burnley's fifth win in a row, meaning that they are the division's most in-form team over the past seven weeks. That came directly after a mid-season slump of sorts when going from mid-December to the beginning of March without picking up a single victory. Six points from 33 during that run has since become 15 from 15 - the type of form that should have Arsenal in sixth place a little worried.

Victory tonight would make it six in a row for Burnley, which they last achieved in the top flight 50 years ago. Three points would also be enough to lift them above Arsenal for the time being ahead of the Gunners' weekend clash with West Ham United, providing further ammunition for those who have suggested that Dyche should be crowned Manager of the Year over Manchester City's Pep Guardiola.

That is a debate for another time, though there is no denying that Dyche has well and truly pulled off the unexpected this term. It is worth pointing out, too, that the Lancashire outfit must still travel to Arsenal on the penultimate matchday, so there is every chance that the Clarets will not even need the so-called backdoor entry into the Europa League. That, of course, is their reward for finishing in seventh place.

Burnley must also face Stoke City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth, giving them a real chance of extending their impressive run through until the end of the campaign. The good news for the Clarets heading into this tough match is that they are unbeaten in their seven home midweek Premier League matches, winning four and drawing three of those. Another tick in the 'W' column tonight and supporters can dig out their passports.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Burnley registered their first win over Chelsea since August 1973 on the opening Day, as they held on for a 3-2 victory after racing three goals ahead, and they are seeking a first league double since 1968-69. The Blues have netted in all seven of their previous Premier League meetings with the Clarets.

Beating Chelsea home and away is a real rarity for the Clarets, then, and that has proved to be the case whenever they have faced off against the defending champions down the years, having failed to pull off the double against a side to finish the previous season top since 1953-54. Burnley beat Arsenal on that occasion, and it is the Gunners who will be hardest hit - besides Chelsea, of course - if the hosts pick up all three points tonight.

Burnley have not lost any of the eight Premier League matches in which Chris Wood has scored this season, boasting a 55% win rate with the New Zealand international in their side. That compares to 23% without him in the side, so he has certainly proved to be a key performer for the Clarets since arriving from Leeds United in August.

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Chelsea sit in fifth place ahead of this match, eight points ahead of Burnley and the same number behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. This is their game in hand on the Lilywhites, though, meaning that victory here and all of a sudden their hopes of finishing in that final Champions League qualification berth are back on. Time is fast running out for Conte's charges, so anything less than three points tonight and it is goodnight.

A 1-1 draw with West Ham United looked to have spelt the end for Chelsea's top-four aspirations, coming on the back of a home loss to Tottenham, but they picked up a 3-2 win over Southampton last time out, while Spurs have collected one point from the last six on offer. There is no denying that the fallen champions have been dreadful since the turn of the year, though, winning just their fourth game in 12 league outings last weekend.

Prior to their impressive comeback win at Southampton, Chelsea had collected four points from a possible 16, losing away to Manchester United and Manchester City in quick succession, followed by that home defeat to Spurs. Simply put, only five wins from five will likely be enough for the Blues to topple Tottenham and finish in fourth place, although even then the Lilywhites will have to drop further points.

That is made all the more difficult when you factor in this trip to seventh-placed Burnley and third-placed Liverpool in the next couple of weeks. It is looking increasingly likely that all of Conte's eggs are in an FA Cup-sized basket, even if the Italian insisted this week that his players will fight right until the end for fourth place. With or without silverware, Conte's time in West London appears to be nearing an end.

DID YOU KNOW? Overall, Chelsea have won just seven of their 21 matches in 2018 - a perfect split of seven wins, seven draws and seven defeats. The Blues have also won just two of 10 previous matches against the current top seven sides, made all the more disappointing when you think back to how impressive they were for three quarters of last season.

Not only have Chelsea fallen down the Premier League table since the turn of the year, they have also exited the EFL Cup at the hands of Arsenal and crashed out of the Champions League against Barcelona. From having plenty to look forward to to being left desperately hoping for progression in the FA Cup, it has been a difficult few months for Conte. If reports today are to be believed, Napoli's Maurizio Sarri will be in charge at Stamford Bridge next term.

With kickoff at Turf Moor now a little over five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Sean Dyche: "The fans are beginning to think about [the Europa League]. Mainly the focus here stays on the next game. We've got Chelsea next and they're certainly a fine side. We'll see where it takes us but it's very pleasing to be in this position at this stage of the season."

Antonio Conte: "We have to try until the end to reach this target. If we want to be realistic with five games to go, it's not simple to reduce the gap, but we must have the will to fight, the desire to take this target. Why not? We have an important game against Burnley, a really strong team having a fantastic season, and it won't be easy to get three points."

An understated Dyche admits that his side are in a "very pleasing" position, sitting nine points ahead of Leicester City with five games left to play. The job is not quite done yet, and the Clarets also need Southampton to fall short in the FA Cup, but you would bet a lot of money on them seeing the job through from this position. Chelsea, on the other hand, have more than one eye on Sunday's meeting with the Saints.

Olivier Giroud has scored 19 Premier League goals as a substitute, placing him behind only Jermain Defoe (24). The Frenchman's brace from the bench at Southampton last weekend made him the top-scoring sub this season, meanwhile, with six in all. Plenty of focus on the striker tonight, as he partners Alvaro Morata - a player who has flattered to deceive in the second half of the campaign.

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KICKOFF! We are up and running at Turf Moor in this Thursday evening clash. Burnley stunned Chelsea by picking up all three points on the opening weekend; another win tonight and those passports can be dusted off.

Chelsea going with a 3-5-2 formation, spearheaded by Morata and Giroud. Six changes made by Conte tonight, remember, but this is still a side boasting plenty of quality in the absence of forwards Eden Hazard and Willian.

A nice spell of possession for the hosts, who twice attempted to get the ball in behind for Wood. Thibaut Courtois, perhaps surprisingly selected over Willy Caballero tonight, quickly raced out to clear the danger in the second instance.

Burnley win a free kick in a good crossing position, but Emerson Palmieri was able to clear the ball away on his first Premier League start. There is a 50-50 split in possession so far, with seven minutes played at Turf Moor.

Bakayoko with a dreadful touch on the edge of the box, neither controlling the ball nor finding a teammate. Prior to that, Morata dropped deep and also lost possession, although in his defence he also won it back from Jack Cork.

PENALTY APPEAL! Giroud gets on the end of a through-ball and is sent to the ground. The Frenchman wanted a penalty, but Long did not appear to make any real contact and, at worst, Tarkowski's shirt pulling was outside of the box.

SAVE! Both teams attempting to get their strikers in behind, with Giroud coming closest to successfully getting on the end of a deep pass in that last attacking move. Morata has just charged through, only for the angle to work against him as Pope kept the shot out.

That will go down as a good save from Pope with his leg, although he did have Matt Lowton covering on the line behind him. Conte will be happy with the way his side have started this match, creating the best chance so far.

Chelsea the side now on top in Lancashire, looking to avenge that defeat from the opening day that set the tone for the rest of this disappointing campaign. As things stand, though, Burnley will be happier with the scoreline.

Pedro gets an attempt away, but it was very poor and did not trouble Pope. Chelsea are in control of this match at the moment and looking the more likely the score. Still, Dyche will not be all that concerned at this stage.

Chelsea take what they will feel is a deserved lead at Turf Moor through a Kevin Long own goal. The centre-back found the target at the right end last weekend, but he will not fancy seeing a replay of this one! Victor Moses sent the ball in and Pope inadvertently bundled it over the line, possibly after a small touch from Pope on the initial cross.

Replays show that Pope did touch that Moses cross into Long, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Olivier Giroud was waiting behind him and would have helped the ball home, regardless, even if the ball from Moses was not all that special.

Chelsea a goal in front and on the front foot, looking for a second of the evening. It has been an assured display from the visitors, although at the same time Burnley have not really go going yet - they were very flat in the build-up to the own goal.

YELLOW CARD! Some nice interplay from Chelsea ends with Pedro's first-time pass going straight through to Pope. catching Giroud off guard. Morata gets away from Tarkowski and is eventually hauled down for the game's first booking.

Pedro takes on the free kick 20 yards out and sends it narrowly wide. The Spaniard is claiming a corner but the referee felt otherwise. Chelsea looking the more likely to add the game's second goal on the basis of the last nine minutes or so.

Lowton with a superb first-time cross from the right which Barnes is unable to get on the end of. Burnley's best moment of the match and the home fans appreciate it, as they wake up to urge their side on following a slow start.

Bakayoko appeared to pull his man back on the edge of the box but the referee did not award a free kick. Chelsea countered and were in a good position, only for Morata to take too long on the ball and eventually find himself crowded out.

SAVE! Giroud and Morata are linking up well, with the latter played through on goal by his teammate but being denied by Pope when attempting to lift the ball over the goalkeeper. A couple of big saves made by the England international either side of the own goal.

Half time is now fast approaching and, bar one dangerous cross a little earlier, we have seen very little from the home side. Chelsea break forward again, but Ward did well to clear Pedro's teasing cross before Morata could get to it.

SHOT! Emerson has performed well down the left in the opening 40 minutes, sending in another teasing cross that is dealt with by Burnley. Kante drifts away from his man but sends the shot over the bar - poor attempt in the end.

Cahill heads the ball clear and takes a boot to the face for his troubles. Chelsea will feel that they deserve a second goal before the interval, and they still have time to double their advantage before the whistle blows for half time.

The home side still yet to register an attempt of any sort as we enter the final minute of the half. Not quite been at the races, it is fair to say, yet it remains just 1-0 and there is still therefore plenty to play for in the second half.

The referee blows for half time, meaning that Chelsea take a deserved one-goal lead into the interval. Kevin Long's own goal is the difference between the sides at the midway point, though it could have been more as Nick Pope pulled off a couple of big saves either side of that opener.

Chelsea, who had a weak penalty appeal rejected early on when Olivier Giroud went to ground inside the box, were on top from the off and should have been ahead prior to the own goal. Some nice interplay saw Alvaro Morata race in behind, only for the angle to work against him as Nick Pope stuck out a leg to keep out the shot.

The opener arrived with 20 minutes on the clock and was created by Victor Moses, whose cross was bundled over the line by Kevin Long after the smallest of touches from Pope from the initial delivery. Chelsea, with just one win in 21 to their name this calendar year heading into this fixture, continued to see more of the ball and looked the more dangerous side as half time approached.

Morata was thwarted again by Pope 37 minutes in after being played in by Giroud, falling short with his delicate finish, and N'Golo Kante drilled over the bar when working some space right on the edge of the box. Burnley failed to register any real efforts in the first half, so we can surely expect an improved showing after the restart.

BENCH WATCH!

BURNLEY SUBS: Heaton, Taylor, Marney, Vokes, Hendrick, Wells, Bardsley

CHELSEA SUBS: Caballero, Christensen, Zappacosta, Fabregas, Barkley, Willian, Hazard

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RESTART! We are back under way at Turf Moor, where neither manager has made any further changes. Already a brighter showing from the hosts, as Gudmundsson sends in a dangerous cross that is cut out in the middle of the box.

Leicester City are being held at home to strugglers Southampton, incidentally, so Burnley would still be strong favourites to finish seventh as things stand. A point is still within reach, though, and that will be the target for Dyche.

Burnley need to push higher up the pitch because Chelsea are happily knocking the ball around at the back at the moment. Azpilicueta seemingly got bored of all that and punted it in the direction of Morata, but a Burnley head got to it first.

Pretty slow start to the second half and it remains Chelsea who are in control of proceedings. It will be interesting to see whether the likes of Fabregas, Willian and Hazard are turned to as we approach the hour mark.

Good recovery challenge from Cahill after initially being caught out by Wood, at the expense of a corner which comes to little. Chelsea with 62% possession since the restart, reflecting their dominance at Turf Moor.

For all the talk of Chelsea's dominance, they have only created a few chances and have just the one goal. The Clarets certainly have a goal in them, so Conte will want to see his side make their possession count to kill things off.

MISS! This is a big, big miss from Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard had half the length of the pitch to run into, and that ultimately worked against him in the end as he had plenty of time to think about it, sending his shot wide of goal from the one-on-one.

Pedro is the latest player to ghost through the Burnley defence, but credit to Tarkowski - on a yellow card, remember - for getting back and hooking the ball out for a throw. The biggest frustration for Conte will be that Burnley are still in this match.

Giroud is down receiving some treatment following a clash of heads with Tarkowski. This little stoppage may have taken the sting out of the game a little as Chelsea have steadily been building some momentum since the restart.

SAVE! Moses drives forward and unleashes a shot that is routinely dealt with by Pope. More than an hour played in Lancashire and neither manager yet to turn to their respective benches - surely that will change soon.

Against the run of play, and with a huge slice of luck, Burnley level things up at Turf Moor. Johann Berg Gudmundsson's shot looked to be heading wide of the target, only for it to hit the heel of Ashley Barnes and creep past Thibaut Courtois.

Chelsea, who really should have been two or three goals in front, were complaining that the Burnley equaliser should have been offside. Replays show that it was not even close, though - two visiting players were keeping Barnes onside.

A nice touch from Bakayoko allows Emerson to blast a shot on goal, which Pope was equal to. From the next delivery into the box, though, Moses put his foot through it and beat Pope at his near post. Parity did not last for too long!

CHELSEA SUB! Eden Hazard is on for Alvaro Morata as Chelsea look to kill the game off. That was a change, along with Willian for one of Pedro or Giroud, that Conte was looking to make prior to Moses's strike a couple of minutes ago.

SAVE! Sam Vokes comes on for Chris Wood and got a headed attempt on target within 30 seconds of his introduction. Expect the Clarets to now throw all they have at Chelsea in search of a second equaliser of the evening.

Chelsea, now with Eden Hazard in their forward line, closing in on a third. Alvaro Morata acted angrily to that substitution to say the least, slamming a water bottle into the ground as he made his way to the bench.

Chelsea with more than two-thirds of the attempts at Turf Moor and deservedly in front on the balance of things. Burnley have already hit back from nowhere on one occasion, however, and you would not bet against them doing so again.

Chelsea opt against swinging the free kick into the box and instead play it short, eventually being forced back to their own goalkeeper. The ball is eventually worked through to Giroud, whose shot is blocked by Tarkowski from eight yards.

Chelsea work the corner shot to Pedro, whose shot looked destined for the back of the net, only for a Burnley head to block it on its way through. Still just the one sub apiece made so far, as Conte holds off from bringing on Fabregas and Willian.

CHELSEA SUB! Emerson Palmieri has done well on his first Premier League start. The wing-back has been replaced by Davide Zappacosta for the remaining five minutes or so, as Conte looks to see this one through for all three points.

Bakayoko with plenty of space to turn, but his powerful drive is blocked on the edge of the box. Burnley have a decent record in the final 10 minutes, taking a total of eight points since the start of the season, so this one is still not over.

BURNLEY SUB!Victor Moses with a cross for Davide Zappacosta, who should have done better with his headed attempt. Nakhi Wells has been brought on for the closing stages, taking over from the ineffective Aaron Lennon.

Four minutes have been added on at Turf Moor and it looks like being a bombardment from the home side. Three points surely out of the question for Burnley now, but a point would be more than welcomed as they have been second best.

We are now into the final 60 seconds of added time and it does not look like being Burnley's night. Despite throwing bodies forward they cannot got the luck of the bounce. This will be another morale-boosting victory for the visitors.

Chelsea see things through to claim a 2-1 victory at Turf Moor, moving them back to within five points of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place. The Blues showed good character to hit back after being pegged back at 1-1 and were deserving winners in the end.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Lancashire. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while reaction will be available elsewhere on the site in due course. Thanks for joining!