Tag: Newcastle

Can Chelsea end their struggles at St James’ Park to continue a perfect start to the new campaign? While Maurizio Sarri kicked off the season warning of a possible slow start, six points and six goals is hard to argue with. Last weekend’s 3-2 win over Arsenal wasn’t without problems, but it’s certainly an encouraging sign as the Blues look to adapt to their new boss. Will their strong start continue during this weekend’s visit to the North East?

The Blues meet former boss Rafa Benitez this weekend, a man who they unceremoniously disposed of after his interim spell at the Bridge. His current job has been a struggle, with the purse strings remaining tight at St James’ Park. Mike Ashley isn’t giving him much support, and the home faithful don’t have much to shout about after a slow start. Is this the perfect time for the Blues to visit, or are they being lined up as a big scalp for a home side in dire need of a win?

Team News: Kovacic Set for First Team Shot

Chelsea come in to this clash with little in terms of injury worries. Cesc Fabregas remains out for the Blues, but we struggle to see where he would fit in under Sarri. So far, the new boss has used Jorginho as a holding player, pushing N’Golo Kante into a box to box role. The third man in the three needs to offer energy and goals, which has seen Ross Barkley take up a starting role.

However, Matteo Kovacic has a chance to impress this weekend, following his cameo against Arsenal. The on-loan Croatian should be fit enough to make the starting 11. That’s a boost, given that his link up play with Jorginho and Eden Hazard was really promising last weekend. That’s something we’re hoping to see much more of.

Newcastle are missing Florian Lejeune in defence, while Isaac Hayden picked up a red card last weekend. The Magpies also have Kenedy ruled out, but that might be a blessing for them. The on loan Chelsea man had a horror show in their visit to Cardiff, failing to complete a pass before half time. He spurned chances, luckily dodged a red card and missed a penalty at the end of the game. Following that, he may not have even featured this weekend anyway.

Newcastle Form

The Magpies are chasing a first win of the season, after claiming just a point from their first two matches. Tottenham opened the season with a victory at St James’, but will the Blues continue that with a win here? The hosts aren’t looking all that impressive, and they certainly have issues to address after the weekend. A 0-0 draw at a poor Cardiff side was a bad result, especially after their late penalty miss. Benitez should have led his side to a victory in that visit, but they come into this weekend’s big game chasing a victory.

While a point from two games isn’t the worst start, it comes on the back of problems in the North East. Once again, Ashley is the target of Newcastle fans’ ire. The failure to adequately back Benitez in the transfer market has left them looking weak, but given their 10th place finish in the Premier League last season, they have little need to worry about a relegation battle. Their overall form should be a slight concern, with five defeats from seven matches ahead of this clash. Can they end that torrid run on Sunday?

Newcastle v Chelsea Head to Head

Chelsea may have won two of three meetings with the Magpies last season, but they were beaten in their previous visit here. The Blues lost 3-0 to Newcastle in May, a game they approached still in with a chance of making the Champions League. Following that defeat, the Blues come here looking for a first win at Newcastle since 2011, when Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge were on the scoresheet in a rare victory at St James’ Park.

• Newcastle 3-0 Chelsea, May 2018
• Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle, Jan 2018
• Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle, Feb 2016
• Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea, Sep 2015

Betting Tips

• Over 2.5 Goals – 10/11 with BetVictor
• Pedro to score – 9/4 with bet365

Chelsea may have struggled in their recent trips to Newcastle, but they’ve been priced up as heavy favourites for this clash. The Blues are 4/6 with Ladbrokes, while the draw can be found at 14/5 with Coral. The hosts sit out at 22/5 with Coral, massive outsiders despite their great record in this fixture in recent years. Will Sarri succeed where his compatriot failed at the tail end of last season?

While we still aren’t sure what to expect from the Blues game by game, they’re certainly great to watch. They ran rings around Huddersfield, and with Hazard coming back into the side they’ve looked even better. The 3-2 win over Arsenal last weekend was a gripping advert for the Premier League, with the Blues showing a hollow defence behind their attacking glitz. Going forward the arrival and introduction of Kovacic is set to improve them even more, as is retaining Hazard. That means we’re at least expecting goals from the Blues.

Newcastle haven’t made major defensive additions, so that’s an area where they look vulnerable. However, they’ve now hit 12 goals in five home matches against Chelsea, so we can see the Magpies getting on the scoresheet at least once here. On top of that, the Blues have seen over 2.5 goals in eight of their last 10 trips in the Premier League, so we’re backing a high scoring game. Over 2.5 goals is our main tip at 10/11 with BetVictor, while we’re also backing a goal from Pedro, who is 9/4 with bet365 despite scoring in both games so far.

After all of their hard work to get back into the top four race, Chelsea blew their Champions League hopes with a woeful display against Huddersfield. The Terriers secured their Premier League survival with a draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, and that’s left the Blues with a difficult final weekend of the campaign on Sunday, as they need to win at St James’ Park and hope for a Brighton victory at Anfield in order to finish in the top four. That would be a big twist for the Reds, who have an unbeaten record at Anfield this term.

All Antonio Conte’s side can do this weekend is win in their trip to the North East, which will at least restore some momentum ahead of the FA Cup final. The draw with the Terriers summed up the issues which have plagued the Blues all season, with poor defensive errors, toothless attacking play and a lack of alternative approaches. That’s what has cost them so far this season, but will they get the chance to turn things around on the final day?

Team News: Conte to Restore First Team for Finale

The Blues went into their midweek clash without Olivier Giroud or Eden Hazard, which looks like a major mistake following the result. We expect Conte to fix that mistake this weekend, with his strongest team set to take the field on Sunday. However, they will be down in one area, as Thibaut Courtois is a doubt for this weekend. Meanwhile, David Luiz is ruled out of the final weekend game, he’ll likely be focusing on next season’s league campaign, given Conte’s likely exit during the summer.

Newcastle head here without former Chelsea man Christian Atsu, while Blues loanee Kenedy is missing against his parent club. The Brazilian has enjoyed an impressive spell in the North East, which has now come to an end. Another loanee who is set to depart is Leicester’s Islam Slimani, who is set to start for the Toon after coming back from suspension. Aside from that, the only other worry the hosts have is Ciaran Clark, who remains a doubt for this one.

Newcastle Form

Newcastle managed to start an inspired run of form in order to move to safety, but getting away from the drop zone has only made them complacent. They’ve now lost four straight matches ahead of the final game, with their place in the top flight secured. They’re still doing well just to stay in the division, given their Championship quality squad and lack of investment. Benitez turned them into a brilliant defensive unit to launch an unbeaten run, but they’ve been unable to sustain that form.

Losses to Tottenham, Watford, West Brom and Everton have all showed how the Magpies are struggling in the final stages, with their players casting an eye towards their summer break. The hosts have won as many matches as they’ve lost at home this term, while they’ve seen their fair share of low scoring matches at St James’, with 67% of their home outings finishing with less than three goals being scored, and with a tough finish to the season they’re going to likely approach this one with an eye on frustrating their opponents after their awful run of form.

Newcastle v Chelsea Head to Head

A string of home wins have given Chelsea an impressive record against the Magpies, and the Blues have claimed two victories over them already this season, after meeting them in the FA Cup. These two last met at this ground back in 2015, when Chelsea drew 2-2 with Newcastle during their troubled title defence. The manner of the Blues’s victories already this term has shown the gulf between these two, with the Pensioners hitting three goals in each of those wins.

• Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle, Jan 2018
• Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle, Dec 2017
• Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle, Feb 2016
• Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea, Sep 2015
• Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle, Jan 2015

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win – 4/6 with Ladbrokes
• Chelsea to win and Under 2.5 – 29/10 with Coral

Chelsea may not have much chance of finishing in the top four, but they’re still being backed to win their final league match of the season. The Blues can be backed at 4/6 with Ladbrokes to win at St James’ Park, while the home side are priced at 9/2 with Bet365 to claim three points in front of their own support. The draw is priced up at 14/5 with Coral, making Conte’s side the clear pick from the bookies. However, will they follow up on the favourites tag and finish the season by seeing off the out of form Magpies?

While the Blues’ weakened side slipped up in midweek, that ended a five game winning run. Boss Conte tinkered with a winning formula, which left his side struggling to retain their rhythm for their final home match of the campaign. He is set to use his strongest XI for this one, even if it is too late for them to leap into the top four. We still expect them to finish the season with three points, and at 4/6 with Ladbrokes, the Blues seem like good value for a victory this weekend.

Newcastle aren’t in great form here, and we can’t see them putting up a huge fight on Sunday. They’ve got nothing left to play for after securing their safety, and the club already seem to have turned their focus towards the summer transfer window, and the future of Benitez. We expect them to be shaded out by a Chelsea side who need to finish with a victory, and given that the Magpies have lost 1-0 in three of their last four games, we think you can get great value on an away win, with under 2.5 goals to be scored in the match.

Chelsea are straight back in to Premier League action this weekend, as they host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. The Blues won 1-0 against Swansea at home on Wednesday night, and they’ll be out to add another three points to the board when the Magpies make the long trip down south. It’s a gruelling one for the away support, heading for London for a lunchtime kick-off, which seems like the usual way for the Premier League to kick off their busy December schedule. Can the champions start their run to the festive period with another victory this weekend?

There’s a bit of an edge to this game for the home support, given that maligned manager Rafa Benitez returns to the club after taking over as Newcastle boss. He guided them through a tough Championship campaign last season, while the Spaniard won the Europa League while at Stamford Bridge in 2013. He wasn’t a popular figure with the Blues’ support before or after his short spell as interim manager, and we expect the home crowd to make that clear when Benitez takes his place within the opposition dugout this weekend.

Team News: Conte Likely to Recall Hazard after Midweek Changes

With three Premier League games in the space of a week, Antonio Conte made changes ahead of the clash with Swansea. The Blues moved back to a 3-4-3 system, with Eden Hazard dropping down to the bench for the clash. Willian and Pedro both impressed late on at Anfield, and they supported Alvaro Morata. We expect the Belgian to return just behind the frontman this weekend, while Cesar Azpilicueta should make a start after being handed a rare break. The midfield duo of N’Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas should stay, as they seem by far the strongest pairing on recent form.

Newcastle don’t have a great squad at their disposal, which is partly why the fans are so desperate to get a takeover sorted with the January transfer window looming. They come in to this trip with three players absent through injury, which is a blow to a side who have only had 17 players make more than one start in the league this term. Benitez has a core group that he heavily relies on, so don’t expect any big changes from their usual side for this clash.

Newcastle Form

Newcastle made a solid start to life in the Premier League, but things haven’t been quite so easy for them of late. While they were briefly sat up around the European spots, Rafa Benitez is working with a squad of largely Championship players. There just isn’t the quality to keep them in the top half, but that doesn’t excuse their recent poor form. The Toon have taken just a single point from their last five games, and that came away to a West Brom side who are in trouble themselves.

Newcastle had previously lost their last four league matches before that draw at the Hawthorns in midweek. A 3-0 loss to Watford at home is probably the low point of the season for the Magpies, with their usually solid defence falling apart. They’ve been far too open over the course of the last week, which should worry their manager ahead of a daunting trip. They’ve managed just one clean sheet in their previous 10 matches, and we expect Newcastle to struggle at the back when they head to the Bridge.

Chelsea v Newcastle Head to Head

Chelsea were resounding victors in the last meeting between these sides, which came as Guus Hiddink was repairing things at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were 5-1 winners on home soil, having drawn 2-2 with Newcastle at St James’ Park under Jose Mourinho. The Blues have won their last four at home to Newcastle, with the Magpies’ last win here coming just two weeks before the Champions League final win in Munich.

• Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle, Feb 2016
• Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea, Sep 2015
• Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle, Jan 2015
• Newcastle 2-1 Chelsea, Dec 2014
• Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle, Feb 2014

Betting Tips

• Chelsea to win to nil – 10/11 with BetVictor
• Chelsea to win 2-0 – 5/1 with Bet365

Chelsea come into this game as heavy favourites, priced at 1/4 with Ladbrokes to take all three points. Meanwhile, Newcastle can be backed at 14/1 with Coral to end their poor form with a victory over the champions. A point would probably be a boost for the Magpies, and they’re priced at 11/2 with Betfred to return to St James’ Park with a point from Saturday’s early game. Obviously we aren’t going throwing money on the Blues at such a short price, but they should come out of this one with the points and a comfortable win.

One area where Newcastle are really struggling is up front. They’ve looked short of a forward since claiming promotion back to the top flight, but the resources just haven’t been there for the club to add a proven striker. The visitors come in to this game having averaged 0.86 goals per game on their travels this term, while the Blues have conceded just 11 times in their 14 matches this season. Chelsea have managed to keep a clean sheet in four of their last five league matches, and we’re backing them to secure another win to nil here, which can be backed at 10/11 with BetVictor.

The Blues haven’t been scoring too many goals of late, and they come into Saturday’s clash having scored a single goal in four of their last five league matches. Hazard should be able to create a few opportunities against this Newcastle defence, but we don’t see the Blues suddenly racking up a big win given that 71% of their home matches this term have seen under 2.5 goals. That has us backing a 2-0 victory for the hosts at 5/1 with Bet365.