Newcastle United will look to extend their winning streak to five Premier League victories in a row when they welcome Chelsea to St. James’ Park on Saturday.
The Geordie euphoria continues to rise following the Magpies’ 4-1 victory over Southampton last Sunday. There, Newcastle United, who face Chelsea next, put on one of the most ruthless displays despite not playing that well and the Saints boasting better Expected Goals (xG).
The south coast result has lifted Newcastle to the lofty heights of third place, and it has also left the Toon Army daydreaming about the prospect of punching their tickets for Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in over two decades.
Newcastle United enter the encounter against Chelsea off the back of their longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League, having won six and drawn three of their last nine premier league games. Howe did well to shuffle his pack significantly for the midweek cup game while still managing to beat Premier League opponents Crystal Palace on penalties.
The focus quickly returns to the Premier League, where Newcastle will be aiming to end their pre-World Cup run of games on a high note as they face an acid test against fellow top-four hopefuls Chelsea on Saturday evening.
A win in the last game ahead of the World Cup winter break will seal a third place in the standings for Newcastle over the Christmas period. And beating the 2020/21 European champions Chelsea will be another statement win underlining their top-four credentials.
In contrast, Graham Potter’s Chelsea are in the midst of a torrid run of form and are without a win in their past four league matches. Furthermore, the Blues are coming off back-to-back league defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal, which have seen them slip down the table into 7th place.
The former Brighton head coach’s honeymoon phase looks to have ended following a three-match losing streak in all competitions, the latest of which saw the Blues plummet out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of Manchester City in midweek. They will need to step up their performance if they are planning to bounce back against an in-form Newcastle side.
The last time these two sides clashed earlier this year, Chelsea edged Eddie Howe’s side out 1-0, courtesy of a wonderful finish from Kai Havertz. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the two sides ahead of this exciting fixture in the Premier League on Saturday.
Team News & Tactics
Newcastle United
Manager of the Month ✅
Player of the Month ✅
Goal of the Month ✅A clean sweep. 😎 pic.twitter.com/nSCpDXYhC5
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) November 11, 2022
Newcastle United will have to make do without their three long-term absentees once again on Saturday. Alexander Isak (thigh), Matt Ritchie (calf), and Emil Krafth (knee) are all not likely to return until after the World Cup. Paul Dummett also remains on the sidelines, while Ryan Fraser has also been ruled out with a calf problem.
Manager Eddie Howe will make a late decision on Callum Wilson’s starting position against Chelsea. The Newcastle striker was ill and did not play in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup penalty shootout triumph against Crystal Palace. Chris Wood could step in to lead the line for the hosts yet again if the Englishman is sidelined due to a precautionary measure after his selection in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup.
Howe will continue to opt with his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Joelinton playing a hybrid winger-cum-midfielder role. Miguel Almiron, who is acting as more of an auxiliary right-forward rather than a winger, has netted eight goals in 14 Premier League games this season, one fewer than he did score in his previous 110 appearances in the Premier League.
He could become the first Newcastle player since Joe Willock’s seven-game scoring run at the end of the 2020/21 season to find the back of the net on five consecutive Premier League outings.
Bruno Guimaraes will look to continue to influence games from the deep midfield area, flanked by willing midfield runners in Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock. There should be no changes at the back from last weekend. Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, and Dan Burn will form the defensive rearguard in front of Nick Pope between the sticks for the hosts.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Sean Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock; Joelinton, Wilson, Almiron
Chelsea
Since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, Graham Potter has been hit hard with injuries to key players. He will once again be without the likes of N’Golo Kante (thigh), Kepa Arrizabalaga (foot), Wesley Fofana (thigh), Reece James (knee), and Ben Chilwell (thigh). Carney Chukwuemeka is out with a hamstring injury, while contract rebel Jorginho is also a doubt for this game with a foot injury.
Potter has chopped and changed his formation on multiple occasions since his arrival, and that has worked against him. The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager could ditch the back-three system for this game, and adopt a flexible 4-2-3-1 attacking setup for the Newcastle trip.
Talking team news for #NewChe. 🔋 pic.twitter.com/fJEbmFFwBU
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 11, 2022
With Kepa injured, Edouard Mendy is a certainty in goal for Chelsea, with Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, and Marc Cucurella forming the back four in front of the Senegalese shot-stopper.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic will comprise the unusual midfield double pivot. Loftus-Cheek will be instrumental in helping the Chelsea defence as he can cover a lot of ground in the centre of the pitch, sweeping away the opposition’s attacks, whereas Kovacic could be the key to the Blues controlling the tempo of the game with his ability to retain the ball in tight spaces and dribble his way out of danger. It remains to be seen whether the duo will be able to match battle-hardened Newcastle’s midfield press and vigour.
Raheem Sterling will hope to put his turn of pace to good use on the right flank, while Mason Mount will be a workhorse, a versatile wide forward from the left. Kai Havertz will operate in the number ten position, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will lead the charge for Chelsea against Newcastle.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Cucurella; Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic; Sterling, Havertz, Mount; Aubameyang
Key Stats
- Newcastle have lost three of their last four Premier League home games against Chelsea (W1).
- Chelsea have won seven of their last eight Premier League encounters with Newcastle (L1), including the last four on the trot without conceding.
- Chelsea have lost their last two league games. The Blues haven’t lost three straight league games since November 2015, when Jose Mourinho was in charge.
- Newcastle United have won six of their last seven Premier League matches.
- Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has nine goals and three assists in nine games against Newcastle across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Kieran Trippier
Miguel Almiron is getting plenty of plaudits, and rightly so, for his sensational scoring form, and he looks like a man possessed in front of goal at the moment. But one of the Magpies’ standout players is Kieran Trippier. Since joining from Atletico Madrid last season, the full-back has been playing at an elite level, and he has started the ongoing season brilliantly.
Trippier is at ease in forward positions and has excellent game-reading skills. Not only is he a superb crosser of football, but his character, leadership, and influence within the team are also some invaluable qualities. He is the whole package, and it is no wonder that Almiron is playing some of the best football of his life with the Englishman constantly on top of the Paraguayan, pushing him to make sharp inroads or runs on the outside.
In Allan Saint-Maximin’s absence, most of Newcastle’s attacking moments have come through the right side because of that understanding between the trifecta of Longstaff, Trippier, and Almiron.
In the current Premier League season, only Kevin De Bruyne (45) and Andreas Pereira (34) have produced more chances for their teams than Trippier (32). And not to mention, the Englishman is a full-back with more defensive responsibilities than the other two.
Prediction
Newcastle United 2-1 Chelsea
On paper, Chelsea have the quality in their ranks to come away as victors against Newcastle. However, the Blues have been in disarray in recent weeks and are desperate for a turnaround. Graham Potter has shuffled and altered his lineups too much, and will need to provide some consistency to his selection for better tactical delivery from the players.
Newcastle United have shown excellent form throughout the season and will be aiming for a top-three finish before heading out for a World Cup break. The Hard Tackle backs Howe’s men to bag all three points against an injury-ravaged Chelsea side in what could be a very close contest.
