Date: Sunday 28th
May 2023
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 16:30 BST
Thank God it’s the last game of this distinctly forgettable season.
Ok, so we showed a bit more effort in the first half against Manchester
United on Thursday but if ever a game summed up our season, that did, with the
poor finishing, poor defending and general lack of backbone as soon as we
concede. It could’ve been worse though, because if we hadn’t put enough points
together earlier in the season, today’s game could have had a different meaning
altogether.
For the final game of the campaign, we’ll play host to a Newcastle side whose
new owners have seen them elevated to a Champions League spot. Probably because
they didn’t sack a Champions League manager and dish out over-inflated transfer
fees and over-extended deals signing more players than they have seats for. That
over-exuberance from our own owners, has seen us fall to 12th in the
Premier League going into today’s game and we could finish as low as 14th,
so little wonder the interferer has decided to head back to America instead of
traipsing sightseers around the dressing room at half-time for this one. There’s
nothing to see here after all.
Let’s just get it over with.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into
today’s game, Chelsea interim manager, Frank Lampard, says “It’s a bad year for the club. The important thing is
you get to the bottom of how it improves. It needs a rebuild. The club will
move on in the summer in terms of the squad. Things need to improve. I certainly appreciate
the fans’ support and I will appreciate it on Sunday. But more than anything, I
would love to give them a performance to take away for the summer and feel a
bit more positive about.”
Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, meanwhile, says “I’ve
got no-one left to rest! We’ve got a few issues and I think the end of the
season has come at the right time for us because we would have been really
stretched.” And on Chelsea, says “Next season they’ll [Chelsea] be a big
threat. They’ve got top quality players but trying to form a team with a lot of
new players isn’t easy. They’ll be a big threat again.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea,
Armando Broja (ACL), Kalidou Koulibaly (hamstring), Mason Mount (pelvic), Reece
James (thigh), Marc Cucurella (hamstring), Ben Chilwell (hamstring)
and Benoit Badiashile (groin), Kovacic, and N’Golo Kante all remain out.
For Newcastle,Nick
Pope, Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo, Jamaal Lascelles, Matt Ritchie, Joelinton
and Joe Willock all miss out.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, Hall; Gallagher, Fernandez,
Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Felix, Madueke
NEWCASTLE
(Possible line-up): Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; S Longstaff,
Guimaraes, Anderson; Murphy, Wilson, Isak
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
(13 March 2022)
FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: LLWDLL
NEWCASTLE: WWLDWD
OTHER STUFF
- Newcastle’s have one win in 27 Premier League games
at Stamford Bridge.
- Chelsea will finish in the bottom half of the table
for the first time since 1995-96.
- Newcastle are unbeaten in all 25 of their league games
this campaign against teams currently outside the top seven.
- Chelsea have lost 16 league games this season.
- Newcastle have registered seven goalless league
draws this season.
- If Chelsea fail to score three goals, this will be
only the second season in their history in which they have scored fewer than 40
times in a league campaign.
- Newcastle have won their final league game in seven
of the last eight seasons.
- Newcastle are aiming to go unbeaten in all of their
top-flight games in London for the first time since the 1996-97 season.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle
