Chelsea vs Newcastle United

The stakes are high for Chelsea and Newcastle United as the two downtrodden Premier League giants go head-to-head in a mid-table clash at Stamford Bridge.

Mauricio Pochettino’s fate in West London is under threat after Chelsea’s abysmal return of just ten wins from 26 Premier League games (D6, L10) stranded them in the lower reaches. With another non-European finish looming, there’s no room for error as they bid to defy a dreadful run of only three victories from 27 league matches against sides starting the round above them in the table over the past three seasons (D8, L16). As if that’s not troubling enough, back-to-back scoring league draws in the lead-up to this contest put the Blues at risk of going winless in three straight top-flight games for the second time this term. However, there’s a silver lining, with Chelsea dominating this fixture in the Premier League era, as evidenced by just a single loss from 28 H2Hs they’ve hosted since 1992 onwards (W20, D7).

On the other hand, Newcastle United thumped Wolverhampton 3-0 at home last weekend to end a two-game winless league stretch (D1, L1) and reignite their faltering quest for a European finish. After West Ham’s home slip-up against Burnley (2-2), the Magpies could draw level on points with the 7th-placed Hammers with a win here. But Newcastle’s form woes on hostile turf are long-standing, with Eddie Howe’s side claiming just three wins on 13 Premier League travels in 2023/24 (D2, L8). On a more positive note, two of those three triumphs have come in their last three away league outings (L1), suggesting Newcastle’s first season double against Chelsea in the Premier League era could be on the cards. Indeed, they thrashed the Blues 4-1 in the reverse fixture, extending their unbeaten H2H league run to three matches (W2, D1).