MX23RW : Friday, March 29 11:05:47| >> :120:6489:6489:
[monks data]
Newcastle logo
Premier League
Sep 26, 2015 at 5.30pm UK
 
Chelsea logo

2-2

Perez (42'), Wijnaldum (60')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Ramires (79'), Willian (86')

Preview: Newcastle United vs. Chelsea

Sports Mole previews Chelsea's trip to Newcastle United as the out-of-form Magpies bid to kick-start their season by beating the Blues at St James' Park.

Newcastle United welcome a resurgent Chelsea to St James' Park on Saturday evening desperately hunting the morale-boosting win needed to kick-start a dire season.

Riding a three-match winning streak into the North-East, though, beating the Blues is much more daunting now than it might have been a matter of weeks ago.


Newcastle United

Steve McClaren manager of Newcastle United looks on during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Watford at St James' Park on September 19, 2015 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.© Getty Images

Steve McClaren admitted that winless Newcastle were teetering on the brink of a crisis following their League Cup exit by Sheffield Wednesday, but victory over the Premier League champions may just be the pick-me-up needed to kick-start their season.

With two points from a possible 18, and eliminated from the Capital One Cup by a Championship side, the boos that echoed around St James' Park on Wednesday night were perhaps understandable given the way in which the team has struggled so far.

Having spent over £50m on new recruits during the summer, this is far from the start that McClaren, the fans and owner Mike Ashley would have dreamt of.

Bizarrely, they were only 11 minutes away from an opening-day victory over Southampton, but a 79th-minute equaliser from Shane Long earned the visitors a 2-2 draw. It was arguably the defining moment of their season so far, and the Magpies have only managed one Premier League goal since that day.

Defeats by Swansea City and Arsenal followed, either side of a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Manchester City, before a Dimitri Payet brace gave West Ham United a 2-0 win at Upton Park 11 days ago.

Things took another turn for the worst last Saturday when top-flight new boys Watford left St James' Park with a 2-1 win, with Daryl Janmaat reducing the arrears with half-an-hour left but the equaliser never came.

Victory - or perhaps a draw, depending on how it is earned - would certainly stave off the boo boys come Saturday, but another defeat and McClaren may find himself right in the middle of the crisis that he can feel on the horizon.

Recent form: DLDLLL
Recent form (all competitions): DWLLLL


Chelsea

Eden Hazard (2nd R) of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal with his team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on September 19, 2015 © Getty Images

Victory at St James' Park on Saturday would represent another step in the right direction for a Chelsea side hoping to continue their winning streak after a dreadful opening few weeks to the season.

With three successive victories, scoring 10 goals and conceding one along the way, it certainly seems as if Jose Mourinho's men have rediscovered their gusto.

It should be noted, however, that Maccabi Tel Aviv and Walsall make up two thirds of their current winning streak, and last week's 2-0 triumph over Arsenal - who played with 10 men for 45 minutes, and then with nine for the final quarter - was far from convincing.

Still, the results have been far more important than the performances for Chelsea in recent weeks, after enduring their worst start to a league campaign for 29 years.

It all started at Stamford Bridge on August 8 when the champions were out-fought and out-played by Swansea City, who had to settle for a 2-2 draw despite dominating. Eight days later, Mourinho's side were humbled 3-0 at Manchester City - a scoreline that could have been significantly worse for them.

They beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2, with summer signing Pedro on the scoresheet, but it was a false dawn as back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Everton followed either side of the two-week international break.

The Blues stopped the rot by brushing aside Maccabi with a 4-0 win in the Champions League, before a controversial victory over the Gunners followed. It was a game in which referee Mike Dean, Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Arsenal defender Gabriel stole the headlines after the latter was sent off. Costa, in truth, should have also gone and a three-match retrospective ban followed.

He served the first game of his suspension in Wednesday's 4-1 demolition at Walsall in the League Cup. It was another win which restored some of the confidence lost as a result of their previous defeats, but another victory must follow tomorrow.

This time last week they were 11 points behind City. Now the deficit is eight and there can be no let-up if they harbour hopes of retaining their title.

Recent form: DLWLLW
Recent form (all competitions): WLLWWW


Team News

Arsenal's Brazilian defender Gabriel (2nd R) reacts after being sent off by referee Mike Dean (not pictured) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on September 19, 2015© Getty Images

United have been boosted by the return of striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has completed a three-match ban and could spearhead the attack tomorrow.

Midfielder Cheick Tiote and striker Papiss Cisse are progressing well, but McClaren revealed that the duo will only resume full training on Monday following their respective injuries.

With Costa serving the second of a three-game ban himself, there is an opportunity for Loic Remy or Radamel Falcao to stake their claim, but Mourinho revealed that he was undecided over who would start up top.

The Portuguese did, however, hint that Remy - who previously enjoyed a successful loan spell at Newcastle - may lead the line due to the "motivation" of facing his former club.

Willian was the only player who missed their win over Arsenal, but the Brazilian winger is expected to start in the North-East.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:
Krul; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haidara; Wijnaldum, Colback; Sissoko, Perez, Thauvin; Mitrovic

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Ivanovic; Matic, Fabregas; Hazard, Oscar, Pedro; Remy


Head To Head

Strangely, Newcastle have proven a tough nut to crack for Chelsea in recent years, with both sides winning three of the last six meetings. Interestingly, the Blues have not won at Newcastle in almost four years, losing each of their last three visits. It was Alan Pardew who masterminded a 2-0 home win at St James' Park last December to thwart Mourinho's would-be Invincibles, who were unbeaten at the time.


Sports Mole Logo

We say: Newcastle United 0-3 Chelsea

With Chelsea getting back to their best, and Newcastle seemingly heading in the opposite direction, it is ever so difficult to see anything but a comfortable away win on Saturday. We reckon that Mourinho and co will continue making positive strides in the form of an emphatic win.



ID:248306: cacheID:248306:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:13690:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
Chelsea's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (R) and Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger (L) are kept apart by the fourth official Jonathan Moss during the English Premier League match on October 5, 2014
Read Next:
Preview: Chelsea vs. Arsenal
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!