Chelsea vs Newcastle: The Premier League’s weekly action wraps up at Stamford Bridge on Monday night as Chelsea takes on Newcastle United for the third encounter this season.
Before their third meeting, the club’s historian, Rick Glanvill, and statistician, Paul Dutton, provide all the essential information.
This season has seen two encounters between the teams, with Newcastle claiming a win at St James’ Park and Chelsea taking a victory in London.
In that match, Chelsea equalized late before triumphing in a penalty shootout to progress to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
A rematch in that competition could happen, with both teams slated to compete in the FA Cup quarter-finals next weekend.
Chelsea has found fortune in Monday night matches, remaining unbeaten in their last eight Premier League fixtures held on this day of the week, claiming five wins.
This season, they’ve achieved a trio of derby victories on Mondays, defeating Fulham in October, Tottenham a month later, and Palace in the previous month.
Read Also:
Chelsea has suffered only one league defeat against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge in the past 38 years.
Despite losing points at Brentford last week, a victory against Newcastle would bring the Blues within one point of their eighth-placed adversaries, with an extra match yet to play.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle has lost points in 10 of their 13 away Premier League games, including eight losses.
The last away team to secure a win at Stamford Bridge in March was Newcastle’s local rivals, Sunderland, in 2001 – 37 matches and 31 victories ago.
Chelsea, starting a stretch of five home games out of their next six in all competitions, have secured wins in four of their last five Premier League home matches.
Chelsea’s ongoing injury issues persist, with Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell sidelined and Conor Gallagher absent from several training sessions due to illness. However, there’s a possibility of returns for Thiago Silva and Marc Cucurella.
In the midfield, Cesare Casadei and Jimi Turiainen are options to alleviate the strain on the usual starters, with Carney Chukwuemeka potentially returning to the lineup.
The team initially adopted a back-three formation against Brentford. Still, it may switch back to a four-defender lineup due to numerous injuries after Brentford dominated the second half in their last encounter.
Axel Disasi’s recent goal against Brentford continued Chelsea’s trend of late-game heroics and set-piece success, marking their seventh headed goal of the season and the fourth originating from a set play.
Cole Palmer’s assist against Brentford has seen him surpass Arjen Robben’s record for league game goal involvements by a Chelsea player under 21 during the 2004/05 season.
Chelsea’s performance this season is highlighted by their record when scoring first: out of 11 league games, they have secured seven victories, tied three, and suffered only one defeat.
The team is also on the verge of a milestone, as their next successful penalty in the Premier League will be their 150th since the 1992/93 season.
Goal contributions in all competitions 2023/24
| Player | Goals | Assists | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Palmer | 12 | 10 | 22 |
| Raheem Sterling | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Nicolas Jackson | 11 | 3 | 14 |
| Conor Gallagher | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Enzo Fernandez | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Mykhailo Mudryk | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Malo Gusto | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Noni Madueke | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Axel Disasi | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Thiago Silva | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Christopher Nkunku | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Benoit Badiashile | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Carney Chukwuemeka | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Levi Colwill | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Moises Caicedo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Opposition Analysis: Newcastle United
Newcastle United may welcome Matt Targett and Elliot Anderson back to their squad tonight. However, due to injuries, they’ll be without key players Joelinton, Nick Pope, Callum Wilson, and captain Kieran Trippier. Lewis Hall is also unavailable, as he is currently on loan from Chelsea.
Tino Livramento, another player from Chelsea’s Cobham academy, is expected to replace Trippier as a full-back. Livramento, who is more offensive-minded, scored recently against Wolves.
Manager Eddie Howe faces the challenge of being unable to help deploy his preferred back four, which has been central to Newcastle’s recent form of three wins and one loss in six matches, helping them chase European qualification.
Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, with a saves-per-shot-on-target rate of 70.7%, will likely start as Nick Pope, who has a slightly higher rate of 73.6%, is injured.
In midfield, expect the same trio from the recent Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea: Bruno Guimaraes centrally, with Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff flanking him.
Forward Anthony Gordon, who has transitioned to a central role in Wilson’s absence and has scored in his last two league encounters against Chelsea, will likely start.
Harvey Barnes is expected to play from the left, with top scorer Alexander Isak poised to lead the attack tonight.
Eddie Howe has a notable win ratio against Chelsea, with only Pep Guardiola and Kenny Dalglish holding higher percentages.
Historical Context
Chelsea has a strong track record against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, winning 20 out of 28 Premier League encounters, with seven ending in draws and just a single loss in May 2012.
The last meeting in May ended in a 1-1 draw, with Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier (own goal) scoring the goals. Chelsea remains unbeaten in the last 12 home games against Newcastle, with 10 wins.
Performance Insights
Chelsea’s performance in the first half of league games would rank them eighth, but their second-half performances are significantly lower, placing them 18th. The team has a positive goal difference before the break but a negative one in the second half, indicating a drop in performance as the game progresses.
Chelsea’s ranking in each half
Chelsea’s Premier League performance has a concerning trend: they excelled in the first half but faltered in the second. Here’s a breakdown:
- First Half: They rank a decent 10th overall, with an even better 4th place in away games.
- Second Half: However, their performance drops significantly, placing them a worrying 18th overall and a mediocre 16th in away games.
The battle for a spot in European competitions
In an ironic twist, Chelsea’s second-place finish becomes advantageous due to Liverpool’s Carabao Cup final win.
This result benefits teams vying for European spots in the Premier League since Liverpool is likely to qualify for the Champions League, bypassing their initial Europa Conference League slot secured at Wembley.
Even though Newcastle and Manchester United were at the bottom of their Champions League groups, the Premier League might still secure an additional spot in the top European competition for the next season.
Six of the eight teams in the FA Cup quarter-finals — including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester clubs, Newcastle, and Wolves — could clinch the competition’s runner-up spot and secure the second Europa League slot.
They can achieve this while maintaining a high league position, thus transferring the European qualification to the next eligible team.
This scenario could extend the possibility of securing a UEFA position to teams finishing seventh or eighth place.
References
https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/chelsea-vs-newcastle-all-you-need-to-know