Chelsea vs. Newcastle: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Days after competing in the Champions League round of 16, Chelsea and Newcastle United clash at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

It’s a critical contest in the Blues’ season, as their 5 –2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night means Liam Rosenior’s side are unlikely to progress into the quarterfinals of the competition. Chelsea were well in the contest for much of it, but another goalkeeper blunder sparked their potentially tie-sealing demise.

Newcastle, on the contrary, very much have a chance of advancing into the last eight, but it’ll take a mammoth effort from Eddie Howe’s men to beat Barcelona at Camp Nou. Lamine Yamal’s late penalty on Tyneside meant the Magpies exited the first leg somewhat deflated, with Harvey Barnes’ 86th-minute strike destined to be the winning moment.

The visitors were victorious on their previous Premier League outing, stunning Manchester United via William Osula’s wicked left boot despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. However, they still sit 12th in the league table.

Chelsea are much better off in fifth and had their odds of a top-five finish boosted by thumping Aston Villa 4–1 in the West Midlands ten days ago. The Blues are now four points clear of Liverpool, and only three adrift of the Villans in fourth and Man Utd in third.

Chelsea vs. Newcastle Score Prediction

Blues to Boost Top-Five Chances

João Pedro scored a hat-trick on his previous Premier League outing. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea’s collapse in Paris certainly felt avoidable, and the Bridge may be somewhat sombre when Newcastle come to town. Still, this is a significant contest in the context of the top-five race, with Liverpool surely set to capitalize on Tottenham Hotspur’s wretched form on Sunday.

The Blues recovered from a wobble at Villa Park and must do the same against the Magpies after Wednesday’s defeat. They’ve shown impressive recovery skill under Rosenior, and should be able to take advantage of a visiting team that’s thinking about taming Lamine Yamal and keeping Pedri quiet for a second time in the space of a week.

Chelsea, of course, have the chance to mount an all-time great comeback on Tuesday, but slipping up on Saturday could prove more fatal.

Head-to-head record at Stamford Bridge: The home team has dominated this fixture in recent years, with Newcastle failing to win at Stamford Bridge since Papiss Cissé struck an outstanding brace in a 2–0 win for the Magpies in May 2012, just before Chelsea were crowned European champions for the very first time.
Newcastle’s away record: Winning on the road has been an issue for much of Eddie Howe’s tenure, and the visitors head into Saturday’s game boasting the fourth-worst away record in the Premier League. They’ve notched just three wins and 13 points from 14 games.
João Pedro’s form: The Brazilian leads Chelsea’s scoring charts since Rosenior took over and he’s scored four in his previous two domestic outings, including a hat-trick at Villa Park. Pedro was also on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture—a 2–2 draw in December.

Prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Newcastle

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Newcastle

Rosenior stuck with Filip Jörgensen in the week, but the Dane’s costly error, leading to PSG’s third goal, may trigger another rethink.

The Chelsea manager complimented Robert Sánchez’s response to getting dropped, and although the Spaniard didn’t exactly cover himself in glory at Wrexham last week, he could reclaim the starting role against Newcastle.

Further up the pitch, Estêvão and Jamie Gittens are both nearing returns from their respective injuries but aren’t available.

Levi Colwill is the only other expected absentee—the defender has a chance of recovering from his ACL tear before the season draws to a close—but Reece James, fresh from signing a new six-year contract, could be benched to preserve his fitness.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernández, Garnacho; Pedro.

Newcastle Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

Newcastle United — Howe will have one eye on the trip to Camp Nou. | FotMo

With Newcastle poised for a mid-table finish, Howe would be wise to prioritize next week’s second leg in Barcelona. The Magpies are in pursuit of perhaps their greatest European night.

Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa could both earn recalls, with the former functioning in a No. 10 position behind the struggling DR Congo international. Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento both earned minutes off the bench in the week, with the latter likely to replace Kieran Trippier at right back.

Harvey Barnes has enjoyed a productive campaign down Newcastle’s left, but may be replaced by Gordon at Stamford Bridge. Gordon and Barnes will surely start the second leg together on Tuesday.

Lewis Miley, Bruno Guimarães and Fabian Schär will return to action next month, but Emil Krafth is done for the year.

Newcastle predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Pope; Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Willock; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon; Wissa.

What Time Does Chelsea vs. Newcastle Kick Off?

Location: London, England
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT / 1:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT
Referee: Paul Tierney
VAR: Michael Salisbury

How to Watch Chelsea vs. Newcastle on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Strean
United States	Peacock
United Kingdom	Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Premier League
Canada	DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada
Mexico	TNT Sports, Max Mexico, TNT Go

MORE: Full list of Premier League broadcasters around the world