Newcastle and Chelsea meet at St James’ Park after both teams won in the EFL Cup this week. Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1 with a last-minute goal from Lewis Miley, while Chelsea won 3-1 at Cardiff. Newcastle sits 12th in the league, just 4 points behind the top 5. They have been strong at home, scoring exactly 2 goals in each of their last 5 league games at their home. But their defence has been shaky, conceding in 9 straight league matches. Injuries, especially in defence, haven’t helped.
Chelsea are pushing for a top 4 finish. They have been solid defensively, keeping five clean sheets in their last 7 league games. On the road, they’ve kept 4 clean sheets in their last 5 away league matches. Cole Palmer returns to his No.10 role, and Caicedo is back from suspension, making them dangerous going forward. Newcastle are missing Livramento, Pope, Trippier, Botman, Burn, and a few others. Lewis Hall may play, and Tonali and Joelinton could return to midfield.Chelsea are without Estevao, Delap, Colwill, Lavia, Essugo, and Mudryk. Palmer, Neto, and Joao Pedro should return after resting in midweek.
Newcastle vs Chelsea: Key Stats
📊 Head to head: Newcastle 18 wins, Chelsea 34 wins, Draws 13
📊 Newcastle: Won last 3 home league games vs Chelsea
📊 Newcastle: Conceded in last 9 league matches
📊 Chelsea: Kept clean sheets in 5 of last 7 league games
📊 Chelsea: 4 clean sheets in last 5 away league matches
Predicted Lineups
🏰Newcastle (4-3-3) Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon
🦁Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Players and Matchups to Watch
🔹 Anthony Gordon – Threat on the wing for Newcastle
🔹 Cole Palmer – Chelsea’s main creator
🔹 Pedro Neto – Chelsea’s top attacker
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