Paul Merson with no respect for Newcastle as Sky pundit previews Chelsea clash

Paul Merson has released his weekly set of Premier League predictions, featuring his views on Newcastle and Chelsea ahead of our trip to Stamford Bridge.

Well, I say his views on both, yet 99% of his prediction sees him discuss the Blues and say very little about Eddie Howe's Mags. In fact, before predicting a comfortable 3-1 win for Chelsea, the only comment he makes on Newcastle is, 'Chelsea will be fine against teams like Newcastle, who blow hot and cold all the time.'

He's not wrong in that we've blown hot and cold recently, but his pre-match assessment lacks respect for a Newcastle side who'll be looking to prove the doubters wrong this Sunday.

Speaking to Sportskeeda about the game (or should I say 'Chelsea'), Merson said: “I just hope Chelsea don’t become flat track bullies. They failed to win against City and Liverpool. Well, you could say they did play well at Anfield last weekend but they ended up losing even then! Cole Palmer never touched the ball in that game. This is the problem Chelsea are going to have now, teams will stop Palmer and they have to find solutions.

“Chelsea will be fine against teams like Newcastle, who blow hot and cold all the time. Enzo Maresca’s men need a win quickly because they’ve dropped outside the top four now. If Aston Villa win this weekend and Chelsea don’t get three points against Newcastle, that widens the gap further.

“I liked it when Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo played together against Liverpool because it kept Chelsea defensively solid. But then they couldn’t get the ball out to Palmer. Enzo Fernandez is definitely a better passer of the ball and can do that more often compared to the other two. And in all honesty, if Palmer doesn’t touch the ball, Chelsea aren’t winning many football matches!”

Merson’s prediction: Chelsea 3 Newcastle 1