Premier League match time arrives at St James’ Park as Newcastle United get set to host champions Chelsea in match week 15 on Sunday, November 28.
A few weeks ago, Newcastle stunned Sunderland 5-1. Match week 14 witnessed a repeat of that score, except that Chris Hughton’s squad were on the receiving end, with Bolton the beneficiaries. Despite the loss, the Magpies are in the top half of the points table, but in an extremely tight league, they are just four points adrift of 18th placed Wigan.
Carroll, as ever, was outstanding, though in a lost cause, and got a second half goal to reduce the margin. The absence of both Barton and Tiote was a double blow for Hughton’s men, who would also be justified in considering themselves as having been subjected to some harsh refereeing. Coloccini was a weak link in Magpies’ defence, and he did not have any clue about how to handle Elmander’s pace and the Bolton striker made the most of the opportunity by scoring a brace.
Chelsea are coming off a 1-0 away loss to Birmingham, their third in four games. Ancelotti’s side began the season with a run of wins and a barrage of goals. Their campaign has lost its early steam, and with a long list of injuries, the Stamford Bridge squad’s weak bench stands exposed.
Contrast this with the performance of their rivals at Old Trafford. While Manchester United have trailed Chelsea, their saving grace has been their unbeaten record. They have shown the kind of resilience we expect to see in champions, even when below their best.
The latest blow for Chelsea — John Terry laid low for some weeks – has been the hardest to bear. The team’s early season performance bore the stamp of Terry’s leadership and character. The defence is vulnerable without him, as is the midfield without Lampard.
Head to head In their last twenty league encounters, Chelsea have won 13 while losing just 2, with the remaining five drawn. Both of Magpies’ wins have come at home, with the last one registered in April 2006.
Ahead of the game against Chelsea, Newcastle will be buoyed by the return of Tiote.
Newcastle had the following men in their starting eleven against Bolton: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Gutierrez, Carroll and Ameobi; the Magpies employed Routledge, Lovenkrands and Campbell as substitutes.
The following men comprised Chelsea’s starting eleven against Birmingham: Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Ivanovic, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba and Kalou; the substitutes who featured were Bosingwa and Sturridge.
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