Fresh from a 5-0 battering by Manchester City last weekend, Burnley's schedule does not get any easier as they host Chelsea on Sunday, a side looking fresh, sharp and full of determination under new boss, Maurizio Sarri.
The 2017 Premier League champions looked rusty, sluggish and bereft of passion towards the end of Antonio Conte's reign, missing out on Champions League qualification and finishing 30 points behind Manchester City as the defence of their title vanished quicker than John Terry can pull his full kit on to lift a piece of silverware.
Yet a fresh approach from Sarri has brought new tactics and vigour to the squad, with several players returning to prove a point.
Barkley personifies Chelsea's fresh start
Burnley are set to welcome back some key faces themselves for this fixture, as Steven Defour continues his comeback and Robbie Brady could be pushing for a place in the side, both having been sidelined for the best part of a year.
But that lack of match fitness, combined with a side that are set up to contain and not see much of the ball, could face a difficult afternoon on Sunday against a Chelsea side perhaps more hungry and determined than any other side in the league at present.
Such work ethic is underpinned by the return to form of Ross Barkley. After a season in the wilderness under Conte, Barkley looks to be in the best shape of his career, producing performances that have seen him force his way back into the England squad for the first time since 2016.
Barkley is currently ninth in the entire league for his pass success rate, boasting 91.3%, and he netted the crucial equaliser against Manchester United last weekend.
Using the ball well
However, Barkley has been limited to just three starts and five substitute appearances in a Chelsea side that are spoilt for options in midfield. Summer signing Mateo Kovacic has started six of their nine Premier League games and his pass success rate of 94.6% is second only to John Stones.
In fact, Chelsea players fill four of the top ten spots for most accurate passing in the English top flight. No player has seen the ball more than Jorginho, who averages 103 passes per game at a success rate of 90.7% - that is at least 12 more than any other player in the league. From the back, Antonio Rudiger finds his target 91.7% of the time, the best of any defender outside of Manchester City.
The worry for Burnley, who have conceded more goals than all but three teams this season, is that Chelsea are making these passes count. They have manufactured the second most amount of shots this season and have scored more goals from open play than any other side apart from City and Arsenal.
And there is more...
Sarri is blessed with options in central areas. N'golo Kante is the heartbeat of the midfield and the perfect player for the scrap that Burnley will no doubt try and turn this contest in to.
Then there is Reuben Loftus-Cheek, one of the mysteries of English football. A star in the making for his national side after impressing with a handful of cameo appearances at the World Cup, the 22-year old has barely featured in a Chelsea squad bursting with talent. Yet he has gone knocking on the door once again with a sublime hat-trick in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
One player who does not need to fear for his place in the side is Eden Hazard. The Belgian is in the form of his life and almost unstoppable with the ball at his feet - not ideal for a Burnley side who have failed to plug the gaps in midfield and defence as they did last season.
Hazard has scored seven of Chelsea's 20 Premier League goals, a contribution of 35% that is higher than any other player in the league. He also has three assists to his name, formulates more dribbles than any other player in the league and has drawn more fouls than all but James Maddison.
Playing out from the back
And if that isn't enough, Chelsea's defence is also purring. David Luiz is enjoying a new lease of life after losing his place in the starting eleven last season. Both he and Rudiger are in the top six of average passes per game, underpinning how Sarri likes to play out from the back.
To the left of them is Marcos Alonso, the most offensively influential full-back in the Premier League of recent years. Burnley have ability out wide but are likely to see their wingers pushed further and further back throughout the 90 minutes.
It remains to be seen who will lead the line for Chelsea on Sunday but Olivier Giroud could get the nod for his physical capabilities against a Burnley defence who like an aerial challenge. His link-up play could fit perfectly to find the runners in a Chelsea side who will exploit any holes not covered by their opponents this weekend.