Chelsea Vs Newcastle

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Chelsea F.C. versus Newcastle United

After dropping two valuable points against Aston Villa in midweek, Chelsea look to improve on their faltering form with a win against struggling Newcastle United.

Chelsea are a wounded animal, and the next team to visit Stamford Bridge and test their 72 league games unbeaten record at home are Newcastle United - but the visiters are hardly enjoying life under their new manager Sam Allardyce.

With seven points from nine, including one against then-league leaders Arsenal, Nnewcastle finally seemed to have found some form after a stop-start beginning to the campaign, which saw the northern side languishing in midtable. However, their latest result was far from encouraging, suffering a defeat away to the ever-improving Wigan Athletic.

Chelsea's last three games have been less than productive, taking four points from nine. However, having come from two men down against Aston Villa to take the lead before squandering it will have taken its toll on the London side and with United winning, it means Chelsea are now seven points behind the Champions in the title race, and six behind Arsenal, who also slipped up away to Portsmouth.

Only a win is acceptable, and recent encounters suggest Chelsea head into this game with both the superior record at home to Newcastle, and the better form of the two teams, with 13 points from their last 18.

Match Chat here - and remember, predict in the Prediction League!

Edited December 27, 2007 by BlueLion

[Layla 0]

Eeeeeeeek.Newcastle do what every 'struggling' team do and hit some form against us no doubt.

1-0 Sheva.And hopfully if we do score anymore then that we can still keep a clean sheet

[BlueLion. 21,491]

A clean sheet is imperative after yesterday's fantastic defensive display

[Layla 0]

Lol we just wanted to make it more intresting.Germi better not be a Gallas and score against us though lol.

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

Newcastle shouldnt realy cause us too many problems. We should be pissing all over them, but with our situation as it is atm I feel we are going to be right up against it over the coming weeks.

They will come and have a go at us as they know we are leaking goals left right and centre. that could play into our hands....hopefully.

Big Sam has got Newcastle playing a bit like Bolton and one of their strong points of their game is their set pieces. That is a bit worrying considering we will be playing with 3 out of 4 first team defenders missing and Ben Haim has been a bit hit and miss and doesnt fill you with confidence. We'll have to use Ballack and Mikels height at corners etc...to compensate for the loss of JT and Riccy.

I'd go 4-4-2 again to see if this was a flash in the pan from Sheva or maybe the start of him turning the corner

[Steve 10,227]

hoping for a win but with the amout of players that are out i think it might be a lucky one if it is there but i will still take the three points anyday..

[BahrainiBlue 32]

we need all three points

[Ollie 4,400]

Newcastle have good players, but as a team they are fucking hopeless. Derby almost done them at st james' and wigan beat them yesterday after they put in another miserable performance. They are shite. Even with 10 injuries, we'll probably do em.

[Ricky10 5]

Cuase we drew On boxing day we are goin to come out harder and stronger and win 5-0 lmao watch!

[Steve 10,227]

bit much i dont no if it will be that much

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Cuase we drew On boxing day we are goin to come out harder and stronger and win 5-0 lmao watch!

I would not be shocked mate

[Steve 10,227]

lol i hope it is but cant see it happening

[Para6iT 2]

Cuase we drew On boxing day we are goin to come out harder and stronger and win 5-0 lmao watch!

lol i hope so. 3-0 will be enough. I hope we win, three more points needed.

[Akemisu 0]

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is out with a thigh injury, with Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole suspended.

John Terry (foot), Carlo Cudicini (rib), Didier Drogba (knee), Florent Malouda (knee) and Claude Makelele (ear) are also out.

Newcastle's Joey Barton will not play after being remanded in custody charged with common assault and affray.

Striker Michael Owen (thigh) could return, while Claudio Cacapa and Nicky Butt may figure after being rested.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Hilario, Belletti, Ferreira, Alex, Ben-Haim, J Cole, Essien, Sidwell, Kalou, Shevchenko, Mikel, Sinclair, Wright-Phillips, Pizarro, Ballack.

Newcastle (from): Given, Harper, Carr, Beye, and'Zogbia, Enrique, Rozehnal, Cacapa, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Geremi, Butt, Milner, Emre, Duff, Smith, Martins, Viduka, Owen.

----------------Cech----------------------

--Belletti - Alex - Ben Haim - Ferreira--

-SWP - Ballack - Essien - Joe Cole--

----------Pizarro - Shevchenko-------

^ The team for me.

Edited December 28, 2007 by Akemisu

[SuperSheva7 0]

isn't Essien suspended as well?

[oxfordblues 299]

only a win will do for me

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

isn't Essien suspended as well?

I believe so....he got a yellow in the last game and reached the limit for a one game suspension :unsure:

[Ricky10 5]

COME ON Chelsea!!!! LETS FUCKING THRASH THEM

Anyone have strean???

[Ricky10 5]

This will be a 'must-win' game for Chelsea after the gap on the top two in the Premier League widened to six points after Boxing Day results.

The Blues come into the match unbeaten in their last three league games - the amazing 4-4 draw with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day following back-to-back victories against Blackburn and Liverpool.

The Magpies, meanwhile, who do not traditionally travel well to the capital, will be looking to put indifferent form over the festive period behind them.

They suffered a 1-0 reverse away to resurgent Wigan on Boxing Day, which was preceded by a poor 2-2 draw at home to the league's bottom team Derby.

This would all point to a Chelsea win, especially since the Blues have never lost to Newcastle at home in the Premier League, and have won this corresponding fixture on the last five occasions.

But a possible spanner in the works comes as the Blues could be without several first-team players for the game.

Dismissals

In defence, they will be without the suspended Ricardo Carvalho and Ashley Cole following their dismissals in the Villa game.

Chelsea appealed against the Cole red-card, but an FA Regulatory Commission upheld his one-match ban on Friday.

The Blues will also be without the influential England midfielder Frank Lampard, who is out for a few weeks after suffering a torn thigh muscle in the Villa game, when he had to be substituted.

Also out are key striker Didier Drogba (knee), captain John Terry (metatarsal) and Florent Malouda (knee).

But on a more positive note, keeper Petr Cech should again start after he came through the Villa game unscathed following his hip injury in the win over Blackburn.

Absence

In the absence of Drogba, increasingly influential Andrei Shevchenko should again lead the line, while Ballack - who replaced Lampard in the Villa game - should again come in for the England man.

For Newcastle, Joey Barton is unavailable after being remanded by Liverpool City Magistrates Court on Friday over an allegation of common assault and affray.

The midfielder has been remanded until 3rd January following an incident in Liverpool city centre.

But former Chelsea winger Damien Duff should again play, after he made his first start for the Magpies in more than eight months at Wigan.

Fellow former Chelsea player Geremi should also play, although he has lost the captain's armband to Alan Smith with his impending absence through the African Cup of Nations.

Striker Michael Owen has returned to training following a thigh injury, while full-back Stephen Carr could return after overcoming a hamstring problem.

[Layla 0]

On the Chels site unless its a typo which is prob is and an annoying one,they've said Essien misses the QRP game :S

Edited December 29, 2007 by Layla