In-form Newcastle will host the out-of-form Chelsea at St. James’ Park on Saturday at 18:30 GMT. Chelsea are looking to end a run of four winless fixtures in the league while Newcastle will be going for their fifth consecutive win as they have soared to third on the table.
Key Highlights
In-Form Miguel Almiron
Almiron is the player that captures the spirit, confidence, and form of the Magpies at the moment. His goal against Southampton was his 6th in 7 fixtures. Although the team is in a good moment, Eddie Howe is getting the very best out of Almiron as his goal-scoring highlights.
Newcastle’s form and confidence mean that they go into each game looking like winning, and with the in-form Almiron giving them the cutting edge up front; they will be the favourites against Chelsea on Saturday.
Newcastle have lost just once this season. They have scored 28 goals while conceding just 11 in the process. They are a solid team with a potent attack, and Eddie Howe will hope their good form continues against Chelsea.
Graham Potter’s Chelsea Struggles
The honeymoon is decidedly over in West London for Graham Potter as the Stamford Bridge hot seat gets ever hotter. As results have gone against him in recent matches, scrutiny of Potter has increased considerably.
The defeat at home to Arsenal highlighted the impact of an injury-ravaged squad. But this result also invited scrutiny of Potter’s tactical choices and impact on the team since he took over.
The spotlight is not about to turn away as Potter travels to Newcastle hot on the wheels of visiting the Etihad for the round three EFL Cup clash with Man City.
Potter will hope for an improved performance against the flying Magpies as he looks to get break the current run of four without a win in the league, ahead of the World Cup break.
Injury Report
Eddie Howe does not have any new injury worries. The only missing players include new signing Alexander Isak; the 23-year-old striker has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since September 20th. Right-back Emil Kraft is also sidelined with a cruciate ligament rupture.
The injury list for the West London side is quite extensive. Ngolo Kante (hamstring), Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (knee), and Ben Chilwell (hamstring) are all sidelined for the long term. These internationals are also slated to miss the World Cup, which underscores the severity of their injuries.
These injuries have left the Chelsea team lacking in balance, especially in defensive areas, highlighting the challenges Potter is facing ahead of the clash with Newcastle on Saturday.
Possible Lineups
Newcastle
N. Pope; D. Burn, S. Botman, F. Schar, K. Trippier; J. Willock, B. Guimaraes, S. Longstaff; J. Murphy, C. Wilson, M. Almiron
Chelsea
E. Mendy; C. Azpilicueta, T. Chalobah, T. Silva, M. Cucurella; R. Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho; R. Sterling, K. Havertz, M. Mount; P. Aubemeyang
Prediction
Eddie Howe and his charges will look to leverage the electric St. James’ Park atmosphere when they face Chelsea on Saturday as they look to extend their winning run to five on the trot in the league.
Graham Potter will instruct his side to control the game through patient possession and take the sting out of the game before constructing their passing and movement to create chances.
This will be a highly-charged encounter and Newcastle will look to break on the counter and make use of their in-form forwards, especially Almiron, to give them the goals they need to win the match.
Newcastle have the form, confidence, and drive they need to win this match and take the three points they need to bolster their top-four charge.
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