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 kick-starts 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
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Elanga, Woltemade, Gordon
Chelsea
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 is 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 that much 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.
