Newcastle United and Chelsea will be eager to build on their successful EFL Cup outings earlier this week when they clash at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
The 2025/26 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 17. The latest round of fixtures kicks off with Newcastle United vs Chelsea, with both teams eager to embark on a much-needed winning run.
Newcastle United returned to winning ways earlier this week by clinching a narrow 2-1 win over Fulham in the EFL Cup quarter-final. However, the Magpies have been dreadful in the Premier League this term, winning only six of their 16 top-flight outings thus far. That has left the Tyneside outfit 12th in the Premier League standings, with the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland ending a four-game unbeaten run.
On the other hand, Chelsea also reached the EFL Cup semi-finals by beating Cardiff City earlier this week. However, while the Blues have been more consistent than Newcastle United, they have slipped up at crucial junctures. Enzo Maresca’s men have won only one of their last four Premier League clashes, with the run of results leaving them eight points behind Arsenal, leaving the title talk in the dust.
The corresponding fixture ended in a 2-0 win for Newcastle United, with Nicolas Jackson being sent off for Chelsea. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Newcastle United manager may be bereft of the services of as many as nine first-team players vs Chelsea on Saturday.
Valentino Livramento is the latest absentee after picking up a knee injury earlier this week against Fulham. The English international has joined Dan Burn (rib), Sven Botman (lower back), Kieran Trippier (hamstring), Jamaal Lascelles (muscular), Emil Krafth (knee), and William Osula (ankle) in the treatment room.
Meanwhile, Nick Pope (groin) and Lewis Hall (hamstring) are closing in on returning from their layoffs. The duo will face late fitness tests to determine their availability, with Hall likelier to be fit and available to take on Chelsea.
Aaron Ramsdale will continue to deputise for Nick Pope between the sticks, with Newcastle United lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Saturday. The backline will feature Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar, Malick Thiaw, and Lewis Hall, with Miley covering for Livramento.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton in the middle of the park. Finally, Nick Woltemade will lead the line for Newcastle United against Chelsea, with Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon
Chelsea
Unlike his counterpart in the Newcastle United dugout, Enzo Maresca has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to St. James’ Park. The Chelsea manager will be without half a dozen first-team players on Saturday.
Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia (hamstring), Dario Essugo (thigh), Estevao Willian (muscular), and Liam Delap (shoulder) remain in the treatment room. Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk continues his suspension after failing a doping test several months ago.
Robert Sanchez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Newcastle United on Saturday. The backline will feature Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joao Pedro will spearhead the Chelsea attack against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Reece James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Key Stats
- Newcastle United have won their three most recent Premier League home matches vs Chelsea, last winning more consecutive games against the West London outfit at St. James’ Park between 1994 and 1998 (4). The Blues lost the corresponding fixture 2-0 but have not failed to score in successive league meetings with the Magpies since February 1933.
- Newcastle United have conceded in their last nine Premier League games. They have never gone ten consecutive Premier League outings without a clean sheet under Eddie Howe before, most recently doing so with a run of 14 between August and November 2021 under Steve Bruce (8 games), Graeme Jones (3), and Howe (3).
- No team has kept more clean sheets than Chelsea in the Premier League this season (8, level with Arsenal), with the Blues keeping a shut-out in five of their last seven games.
- Newcastle United are averaging 12.2 shots per game and 4.31 shots on target per game in the Premier League this term, their lowest averages in a campaign under Eddie Howe.
- Chelsea have kept four clean sheets in their last five away Premier League matches, losing 3-1 to Leeds United at Elland Road in the other game. They had only kept five shut-outs in their 38 games on the road before this run.
Player to Watch
Pedro Neto
While Cole Palmer, Bruno Guimaraes, and Anthony Gordon were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Pedro Neto as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Chelsea at St. James’ Park.
The Portuguese international has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Chelsea player this term (8 – G5 A3), with four of his five strikes coming away from home. His five goals are already his joint-most in a campaign (also 5 in 2020/21). So, Neto will be the go-to man for Enzo Maresca in the final third this weekend.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea
Saturday’s Premier League clash between Newcastle United and Chelsea will pit two inconsistent teams desperate to embark on a winning run. However, both teams have a soft underbelly, and it will lead to a closely-contested affair.
Meanwhile, the Magpies have scored exactly two goals in their last five Premier League home games, averaging those many per game under Eddie Howe at St. James’ Park (158 goals in 79 games). Only Kevin Keegan has a higher home goals-per-game ratio as the Newcastle United boss (175 goals in 81 games, 2.16).
While Chelsea’s recent away games have featured several clean sheets, the ghosts of the recent outing at Elland Road against Leeds United will resurface, albeit with a more spirited performance in tow. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw between Newcastle United and Chelsea.
