Newcastle United and Chelsea lock horns in the EFL Cup two days after their Premier League clash this past weekend, with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.
The curtains will fall on the EFL Cup round of 16 on Wednesday, which will feature several eye-catching fixtures. One of them will come from St. James’ Park, where Newcastle United will host Chelsea mere days after the two Premier League clubs locked horns in the English top flight at Stamford Bridge.
Newcastle United entered the EFL Cup in the second round and beat Nottingham Forest on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. AFC Wimbledon also gave the Magpies a run for their money before the Tyneside outfit eked a narrow 1-0 win to reach the round of 16. However, Eddie Howe’s men have blown hot and cold in the Premier League, with the 2-1 loss to Chelsea this past weekend dropping them to 12th in the standings.
As for Chelsea, the West London club returned to winning ways this past weekend with the 2-1 win over Howe’s charges. That result lifted the Blues to fifth on the table, with the gap to the summit reducing to six points. Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca’s men have played only once in the EFL Cup this season, cruising to a 5-0 win over Barrow AFC, with Christopher Nkunku scoring a match-winning hat-trick.
As iterated earlier, Chelsea and Newcastle United have already locked horns once this season, with the Blues clinching a 2-1 win this past weekend. The most recent EFL Cup clash came last term, with Chelsea coming from a goal down to hold Newcastle to a 1-1 draw before they progressed on penalties. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Chelsea on Wednesday, the Newcastle United manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
Anthony Gordon is the most notable absentee, with the former Everton winger recovering from a groin injury. The English international accompanies Martin Dubravka (knee), Kieran Trippier (hamstring), Sven Botman (knee), Jamaal Lascelles (knee), and Callum Wilson (back) on the sidelines.
Howe will rotate his troops on Wednesday, with Odysseas Vlachodimos making his first start for Newcastle United against Chelsea. The Magpies will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of the Greek goalkeeper, with the backline featuring Valentino Livramento, Emil Kraft, Fabian Schar, and Lloyd Kelly.
As for the midfield unit, Joe Willock will make a rare start, joining Sean Longstaff and Sandro Tonali in the middle of the park. Finally, William Osula should lead the line for the home side against Chelsea, with Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vlachodimos; Livramento, Krafth, Schar, Kelly; Longstaff, Tonali, Willock; Almiron, Osula, Murphy
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Newcastle United dugout, Enzo Maresca does not have any new roster issues to worry about ahead of the trip to St. James’ Park. The Chelsea manager will be without only one first-team player on Wednesday.
Omari Kellyman remains the only absentee, with the youngster still recovering from a hamstring injury. Otherwise, Maresca has a full-strength squad at his disposal for the clash in the EFL Cup round of 16.
Filip Jorgensen will take his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Newcastle United. The backline should feature Axel Disasi, Benoi Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should return to the starting lineup, lining up alongside Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the park. Joao Felix will reprise the no. 10 role, with Jadon Sancho and Mykhailo Mudryk being the two wide attackers. Finally, Christopher Nkunku will lead the line for the away side against Newcastle United.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Disasi, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Dewsbury-Hall; Sancho, Felix, Mudryk; Nkunku
Key Stats
- Chelsea have 33 wins from their last 57 meetings with Newcastle United, with the Magpies managing 13 victories (D11).
- Chelsea are on a three-game winning run against Newcastle United but have lost on their last two visits to St. James’ Park.
- Newcastle United are winless in six matches across competitions, losing three (D3) since September.
- Chelsea have won six of their last nine away matches, losing twice, since April.
- Only Tom Ince (4) has more goals than Christopher Nkunku (3) in the 2024/25 EFL Cup.
Player to Watch
Joao Felix
While Chelsea’s rotation squad has seen some eye-catching performances, Joao Felix has yet to get up to speed since returning to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window. So, with opportunities coming every week, he must step up.
With Christopher Nkunku making his mark as the central striker in the second-string Chelsea team, the onus is on Joao Felix to occupy advanced positions and attempt to deliver the goods in the final third. A game-changing performance will go a long way in elevating his stock.
Prediction
Newcastle United 1-2 Chelsea
Newcastle United gave Chelsea a run for their money this past weekend in the Premier League, and a similar showing is on the cards in the EFL Cup clash between the two sides. With Eddie Howe and Enzo Maresca expected to rotate their troops, an unpredictable clash should greet us this midweek.
Players like William Osula, Christopher Nkunku, and Joao Felix will have points to prove, and the two goalkeepers should be busy between the sticks. However, the visitors have more quality in the final third and should eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Newcastle United to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
