Overview
Chelsea will try to put pressure on the Premier League leaders when visiting Newcastle's St James' Park.
An early win in the match will help Chelsea, currently in fourth place, shorten the gap to 5 points compared to the leader Arsenal.
The Blues ended a four-match winless streak in all competitions with a 2-0 win over Everton last weekend. They then continued their excitement by defeating Cardiff City 3-1 to win a ticket to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they will meet Arsenal or Crystal Palace.
Alejandro Garnacho's double was highlighted by an important goal from Pedro Neto, who restored Chelsea's lead in the 82nd minute in southern Wales. The Portuguese international is having an impressive season with 5 goals in the Premier League, including 4 away goals.
The victory over Cardiff is of special significance to Chelsea in the context of recent internal changes. Coach Enzo Maresca once admitted that the 48 hours before the Everton match was the most difficult time since he took over the team due to a lack of support for himself and the players.
Although he did not clarify who the statements were aimed at, Maresca affirmed that he was "very happy" after the win over Cardiff and increasingly "loved" his students.
One of Chelsea's great supports this season is their defense. No team has kept more clean sheets than them in the Premier League (8 matches, equal to Arsenal). Of which, 5 matches came from the last 7 rounds.
In contrast, Newcastle have conceded in each of their last nine Premier League games and have never gone 10 consecutive games without a clean sheet under manager Eddie Howe.
Defensive concerns increased when Tino Livramento suffered a knee injury and had to leave the field in the 2-1 win over Fulham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. A day earlier, Howe confirmed that Dan Burn would be out for about six weeks with a rib and lung injury suffered in the loss to Sunderland in the Wear-Tyne derby.
Nick Woltemade's own goal caused Newcastle to lose 0-1 and continue to rank 12th in the rankings. This match saw the two teams only have a total of 11 shots, with a total xG of 0.54 - the lowest level in the Premier League this season.
However, Newcastle often play better at home. They have scored at least two goals in each of their last five Premier League home games and averaged two goals per game at St James' Park under Howe - a tally just below Kevin Keegan's record (2.16).
In terms of force, Newcastle are unlikely to have the services of Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth until the new year, while Jamaal Lascelles and Nick Pope could return in time. Lewis Miley could continue to be deployed at right-back due to Livramento's injury.
On Chelsea's side, Moises Caicedo will return after a 3-match suspension, but Estevao is absent due to a muscle injury, while Liam Delap is still treating shoulder problems.
Head-to-head record
Newcastle have won all three of their most recent visits to Chelsea at St James' Park in the Premier League. This is their best run against this opponent since winning four consecutive games in 1994-1998.
Howe's team defeated Chelsea 2-0 at home in their most recent encounter. However, since February 33, Chelsea have not scored in 2 consecutive matches in the national championship against Newcastle.
Score prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea
The match between Newcastle and Chelsea takes place at 19:30 on December 20 (Vietnam time).
