This is absolutely huge. Our biggest game of the 2024/25 league season and one that will more than likely play a vital role in our bid for Champions League football.
Fourth-place Newcastle welcome fifth-place Chelsea to St James’ Park in Sunday’s early kick-off, with the two sides tied on points (and level on goal difference) with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa also on our heels with three games to go.
As of Saturday morning, this is the current Premier League table and who each of our rivals play this weekend:
- 3. Man City – 64pts (+24)
- 4. Newcastle – 63pts (+21)
- 5. Chelsea – 63pts (+21)
- 6. Nottingham Forest – 61pts (+12)
- 7. Aston Villa – 60pts (+6)
Man City play Southampton at St. Mary’s at 3pm today before Aston Villa travel to Bournemouth at 5.30pm, then comes our meeting with Chelsea at 12pm tomorrow followed by Nottingham Forest hosting Leicester immediately after at 2.15pm.
With three weekends of football remaining, it’s crunch time in the race for Champions League qualification and a Chelsea side who looked very beatable a few weeks ago suddenly arrive with three wins in a row; one of which was a confidence-boosting 3-1 win over Liverpool.
But, for all the talk around Chelsea’s mini-resurgence, we know how good this Eddie Howe side has been in important May fixtures at St James’ Park over the past three seasons. I just hope the 12pm kick-off doesn’t impact the atmosphere too much and we can collectively step up in a genuine six-pointer before next Sunday’s trip to Arsenal.
Howe’s pre-match comments
On home advantage – “Our home form has been good, we have a great environment to play in, we need the crowd with us, it is imperative. We know they will be there for us, and we have to perform for them. It is the kind of game that we need to rise to the occasion.”
On early team news – “We have a couple of players we are assessing, and we will see how they are this weekend, other than that we have trained well all week.”
On Joelinton – “I saw Joe yesterday, he had come back from treatment in Brazil. I think he is feeling pretty good, whether we see him before the end of the season, we’ll see.”
Team news
Joelinton is ‘feeling pretty good’ after returning from Brazil and a trip to Barcelona for an injection, but it’s not clear if we will play again over our final three games. Personally, I think he just might!
Sven Botman is ‘feeling confident in his body again’ and both Fabian Schar and Kieran Trippier are ‘doing pretty good’ after the pair came off late in last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton.
Jamaal Lascelles has been back in training this week, but Lewis Hall (foot) and Matt Targett (hamstring) won’t play again this season.
Chelsea have Romeo Lavia back which could see Moises Caicedo start in an inverted right-back role again. Wesley Fofana remains out, with Christopher Nkunku also likely to be sidelined again.
Predicted line-up
(4-3-3): Pope – Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento – Guimaraes, Tonali, Willock – Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if Joelinton is back in the squad for this – I just have a feeling he’ll be telling everyone he’s ready to play – but I think we’ll see another start for Joe Willock.
He looked like a man struggling for confidence at Brighton, but probably needs a run of games to find his rhythm. The problem is, our season has three games left to run and we need him to deliver now, so must see his running power in both directions and improved quality and decision-making in and around the final third in an area of the pitch Joelinton often dominates.
Moving to the left wing, I think Anthony Gordon comes back into the side. Harvey Barnes has done very little wrong, but Gordon’s pressing is superior to help set the tone and I thought his cameo at Brighton offered that bit of urgency we were lacking for much of the afternoon.
Match prediction
A few weeks ago I felt really confident we’d beat Chelsea, but they’ve built momentum lately, are a much better side with Romeo Lavia balancing their midfield and may have Cole Palmer back at it this weekend after he ended his goal drought in a man of the match display last weekend.
However, I am still backing us to get the job done. Since the cup final, we’ve won four home games in a row by an aggregate score of 14-2 and Howe has shown his ability to get it right in the big games this season, highlighted by his tactical masterclass at Wembley that the player’s delivered almost perfectly.
Joelinton’s likely absence is a concern against a Chelsea side full of pace and power, but will they have the heart to match us when the going gets tough? I’m not so sure!
Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Chelsea
Howay the lads!
They play with a box four midfield, with Caicedo, Lavia, Enzo and Palmer. With only Tonali and Bruno there is a danger of being swamped. Interesting to see how Eddie deals with that. I’m not convinced that simply swapping Big Jo for Little Joe will work. I think we may need to go with a back three, Burn, Botman and Schar in order to bring Longstaff and Miley in there. Sean can help out Tonali and Lewis balance Bruno.
So I’m going Pope – Burn, Botman, Schar – Livramento, Tonali, Longstaff – Gordon, Bruno, Miley – Isak.
PremAndUp(Quote)
It’s a must win. Lose and I think we are out of CL. I’m pretty sure Villa will win and very likely that Forest will win. Tomorrow we will see just how much our team want to play CL
Key for us is getting Isak back to playing his best. He’s been off form for several games now. No idea why but he needs to stop missing the chances he’s been getting.
I’ll go for a 3-2 win for us. 👍🙏
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Think we need to stick someone on Palmer who has been lying a bit deeper.
I would go for a back five with Trippier and Livramento as wing backs, Tonali will need support so Bruno should lie deeper. Gordon on the right, Isak, Barnes on the left.
Murphy has been a bit sloppy in the last two games so could miss out.
Pope, Schar, Botman, Burn (this would be a real threat from set pieces)
Trippier, Bruno, Tonali, Livramento.
Gordon, Isak, Barnes
Suspect Howe will go with Willock which may be ok if he can sit on Palmer all the time, which means he will stick with his preferred 433.
Joseph(Quote)
I think the change of formation would be right way to go so I’m with you Joseph, but not Eddie will see it that way.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Some more ludicrous stories out there today about us replacing Eddie Howe with Xavi! We play Chelsea tomorrow… hmmmm 🤔🙄.
The press desperately trying to destabilise us again for their London darlings. 😡😡😡
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Well, City only drew 0-0 with Southampton. 😳. Didn’t see that coming. So a win can take us third! I hope we don’t blow it!
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Villa have really ramped up the pressure on those above them now.
Our two home games are must win I feel.
Joseph(Quote)
Yeah I’m inclined to agree Joseph.
Gilly, I never expected that City result either , massive chance for us to go third now as you say.
And yes the press up to their old tricks again.
Got a feeling we draw today.
kimtoon(Quote)
So, it looks like Joseph has called it right. 3 at the back with Botman starting. No Trippier and no Willock so I see Murph and Tino as wingbacks. Both Gordon and Barnes start. Excellent attacking set up.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Agree, makes sense Gilly, just needs the lads to execute it now.
kimtoon(Quote)
HWTL
kimtoon(Quote)
I’m so nervous about this match. We have the ability to smash Chelsea and we also have the ability to implode and blow it completely. Which Toon team will show up today? This is like another carabao cup final.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Actually is it a 4231 with Gordon just behind Isak ? I suppose it could be either or.
kimtoon(Quote)
Yes it is Gordon behind Isak
kimtoon(Quote)
He may be more of a threat there, lets see.
kimtoon(Quote)
GetinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnSandro
kimtoon(Quote)
Love seeing Joe and his mrs in the shirts
kimtoon(Quote)
Get innnnnnnn Sandro
Gilly Toon(Quote)
That’s a red all day long
kimtoon(Quote)
Surely a red!
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Bad luck Dan that was a great effort.
kimtoon(Quote)
Good first half and a deserved red for Jackson. We must make it work for us now. Need more goals as Chelsea can still be dangerous
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Great first half, they were fouling all over the shot and lucky only one has seen red as Gordon been on the end of repeated fouls.
Isak needs to show more than he is for me.
With the man advantage now, I will really peed off if we don’t go on and win this one.
No sloppy second half please lads.
kimtoon(Quote)
Agreed Kim. Caicedo should at least be on a yellow. Agree too on Isak. Not doing enough for me. He’s been poor for several games now and not sure why. We need more goals though, for sure. We must absolutely win this now from this position. I’ll be fuming if we throw it away.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
We must not sit back here.
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Great save pope
We need to get at them
kimtoon(Quote)
We are living very dangerously right now. I’ll be livid if we give Chelsea a way back in. 😡😡
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Not happy with this, with the extra man we should be pressing more, we are giving them far too much respect.
kimtoon(Quote)
This is very nervy
Gilly Toon(Quote)
I don’t like this at all
Gilly Toon(Quote)
We are at sea here man, wtf is going on .
Badly need a second goal
kimtoon(Quote)
Caicedo still not booked how the he ll as that not happened.
kimtoon(Quote)
Brunooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
kimtoon(Quote)
Brunoooooooooooooooooo
Gilly Toon(Quote)
That’s a really excellent goal by the way.
kimtoon(Quote)
What a match. We lost our way for big parts of the second half, but great second goal and up to third!
Gilly Toon(Quote)
Brilliant first half – one of the worst 2nd halves I’ve seen from us!!.
Not going to dwell on it coz it’s 3 massive points on the board & we have put ourselves in a great position.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I wonder when the PL decide to punish City as well??
Any points deduction would surely take them out of the CL spots – or do they start them on minus next season?? – which would be BS mind!!
Sharpy17(Quote)
Leicester take the lead, didn’t see that tbf.
kimtoon(Quote)
Forest level
kimtoon(Quote)
Man United and Spurs are 16th and 17th at the moment. Any other season they’d be relegated… 😂😂
Gilly Toon(Quote)