Newcastle United will welcome Chelsea FC to St. James’ Park tomorrow. After having started the season poorly, Alan Pardew’s side was able to string a few wins together to keep them in a respectable spot on the table.
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They have only been able to pick up one point from their last two outings, having lost to West Ham, and drawn with Burnley. Chelsea on the other hand, will be coming into the match with all their players feeling confident, after a 3-0 home victory against cross-town rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The Magpies have always proved difficult opposition for Chelsea; last season, they beat the Blues 2-0 in this fixture, thanks to second-half goals from Yoan Gouffran and Loic Remy. The Blues were on a mini-streak, having won six straight games before their trip to St. James’, but it would all come to a surprising halt.
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Jose Mourinho has never won on Newcastle’s ground, so he will be keen to break the stronghold. This time though, Remy will be on his side; although the Frenchman may not play significant minutes due to Diego Costa’s return to action, he is known for making use of whatever little time he gets on the pitch.
Chelsea remain unbeaten in the league, and they will be trying their best to avoid another Mourinho tantrum. It was reported that the manager tore into his players after the defeat last season, so I expect them to be at their best.
Team News
Alan Pardew’s side have been hit with the injury bug, they have nine players out. Shola Ameobi (hamstring), Tim Krul (ankle), Fabricio Coloccini (calf), Gabriel Obertan (hip), Siem de Jong (thigh muscle strain), Ryan Taylor (knee), Davide Santon (knee), Rolando Aarons (hamstring) and Curtis Good (groin) are all ineligible for selection, although Coloccini is due for a late fitness test.
Jonas Gutierrez is not injured but he is not match fit, no return date has been set.
The Blues are able to field Costa, the striker served an automatic one-game ban for amassing five yellow cards, and could not play against Tottenham on Wednesday. Nemanja Matic, who picked up a fifth yellow during the Spurs game, will be serving a suspension of his own tomorrow; Chelsea will be without him for the first time since he joined them from Benfica last season.
Ramires (hip) and Nathan Ake (hamstring) are the other players who will be unable to play. Gary Cahill — who went down with a head injury on Wednesday — has been given the green light after tests showed that he did not suffer a concussion.
Prediction
Newcastle will have history on their side tomorrow, as Mourinho has been unable to win a game at St. James’ thus far. The Magpies have been known to frustrate the Blues, and they will be out to do just that. Defense though, will be an issue for them, they have already conceded 17 this season, whilst Chelsea have only allowed 11.
Chelsea are a much different side this time around, they are strong in all areas on the pitch. Costa will be back in action, and he will be throwing his weight around as usual, so he will be quite hard to contain.
Eden Hazard — who scored a hat trick against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge last term — is still on fire for the Blues. His pace and dribbling out on the flanks will cause for concern for Pardew, he will need to keep the Belgian in check if he is to walk away with anything from the match.
Both teams have a lot to play for; Newcastle will be fighting to maintain their top-half position and save their manager’s job, while Chelsea are competing for the grandest prize of them all — the Premier league Title.
Final Score: Newcastle-0, Chelsea-3.