Preview: Chelsea vs. Newcastle United
Chelsea will be looking to end what has been a disastrous Premier League campaign on a positive note when they welcome Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues currently sit 12th in the table but could finish as low as 14th, while Newcastle have secured a top-four spot ahead of the final matchday, with the Magpies currently in fourth position, two points behind third-placed Manchester United.
Chelsea suffered their 16th Premier League defeat of the season on Thursday evening, as they went down 4-1 to Man United at Old Trafford, with Frank Lampard’s side losing 4-0 in Manchester before Joao Felix came off the bench to register a late consolation for the visitors.
There is no getting away from the fact that it has been an incredibly poor season for the Blues, who have won 11, drawn 10 and lost 16 of their league games to collect 43 points, which is only enough for 12th spot in the table heading into the final set of fixtures in England’s top flight.
Chelsea could finish above Crystal Palace in 11th, but they could also drop as low as 14th with a defeat here if other results go against them, which would add further insult to injury.
Planning for next season started a long time ago, with Mauricio Pochettino set to arrive as head coach, replacing interim manager Lampard, who has won one, drawn one and lost eight of his 10 games since returning to the club following Graham Potter’s departure.
There will be no European football at Stamford Bridge next season, but a win on Sunday would at least give the fans a reason to smile, and the Blues have not actually dropped points against Newcastle at home in the Premier League since May 2012.
Newcastle’s position in next season’s Champions League was secured when they played out a goalless draw with Leicester City on Monday evening, and it has been an excellent campaign for the Magpies.
Eddie Howe’s side have picked up 70 points from their 37 matches to sit fourth, two points behind third-placed Man United, so they will need to win on Sunday and hope that the Red Devils drop points at home to Fulham in order to claim a top-three position in the Premier League.
Newcastle have not competed in the group stage of the Champions League since 2003, and it will be fascinating to see what business is done this summer, as the club will be able to attract a higher calibre of player due to their involvement in Europe’s leading competition.
Howe’s team, despite their excellent season, have actually only won one of their last four in the league, while they were held to a 2-2 draw by Leeds United in their last away match on May 13.
Newcastle beat Chelsea 1-0 at St James’ Park in December, and they will be looking to complete their first league double over the London outfit since the 1986-87 campaign, but the Magpies have won on just one of their last 27 trips to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
Chelsea Premier League form:
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Newcastle United Premier League form:
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We say: Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United
Chelsea played well for spells of their game with Man United on Thursday, but poor defending and finishing cost them the chance to pick up a positive result. Newcastle will not be at full strength on Sunday, and we are backing Chelsea to end their campaign with a draw against the top-four outfit.