Matt Oldfield
What: English Premier League
Who: Newcastle United vs Chelsea
When: Saturday, 3rd December, 2011, at 12:45 UK time
Where: St James’ Park, Newcastle, England
Belief Still Strong
Buoyed by a hard-fought draw at Old Trafford, Alan Pardew’s Newcastle side will go into this home match with Chelsea in the firm belief that they can win. A first defeat of the season to league leaders Manchester City has not dented the confidence at St James’ Park; midfielder Danny Guthrie, for one, believes that Newcastle deserve their position in the top four and can hold on to it.
This is the last of Newcastle’s big three games; next up are Norwich, Swansea, West Brom and Bolton. The Magpies have every chance of entering the New Year in a Champions League spot.
Pardew will hope to welcome back midfield powerhouse Cheick Tiote to renew his blossoming partnership with Yohan Cabaye. In the absence of Jonas Gutierrez and Sylvain Marveaux, Hatem Ben Arfa will likely be moved out to the wing with Gabriel Obertan, while one of the Ameobi brothers or Leon Best will play alongside top scorer Demba Ba. Dan Gosling and Peter Lovenkrands, meanwhile, will wait eagerly for their opportunity to shine.
Chelsea are a team in turmoil and Newcastle must see them as there for the taking. Pardew is relishing the clash: ‘We’ve set ourselves up for Chelsea. We have one of the big clubs coming to us and they will be fearing coming to us in front of 52,000 Geordies.’ The Newcastle manager went on to acknowledge the importance of last weekend’s draw – ‘Getting that point was magnificent and has strengthened our belief.’
Breaking Point
The pressure is very much on at Stamford Bridge. Andre Villas-Boas’ Chelsea side have won just three of their last nine matches in all competitions. Eliminated from the Leagie Cup by Liverpool this week, the Blues lie fifth in the Premier Leagie and could also see their Europeans dreams scuppered if defeated by Valencia next week.
With rumours of owner Roman Abramovich’s discontent circulating, the Portuguese manager is right to see Champions League success as ‘life or death’, but domestic form remains equally important.
Villas-Boas faces selection problems all over the pitch. In defence, John Terry is feeling the effect of racist allegations, David Luiz is yet to mature into a fully reliable centre-half, and Alex has been used sparingly. In midfield, John Obi Mikel, Raul Meireles, Ramires and Oriol Romeu are all competing for one starting spot, with no-one making the defensive midfield role his own. However, the biggest problems lie up front; Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka look sluggish and unsettled, while Fernando Torres remains tragically out of form. Only Daniel Sturridge looks capable of really threatening defences.
The young Portuguese manager’s job hangs in the balance and an away game at high-flying Newcastle is a tough and awkward test. Villas-Boas has urged the fans to get behind his team, but anything less than a win will not do.
Sturridge meanwhile has wisely called for calm in the Chelsea camp: ‘The most important thing is for us to go out there and play our natural game’, said the striker.
Recent form
Newcastle United:
Newcastle United 2-1 Everton (05/11; Premier League)
Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United (19/11; Premier League)
Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle United (26/11; Premier League)
Chelsea:
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Chelsea (23/11; Champions League)
Chelsea 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers (26/11; Premier League)
Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool (29/11; League Cup)
Key absences
Newcastle United: Sylvain Marveaux; Jonas Gutierrez (suspended); Cheick Tiote (doubt); Leon Best (doubt)
Chelsea: Michael Essien; Ashley Cole (doubt)
Players to watch
Newcastle United – Tim Krul: After another brilliant display against Manchester United, the big Dutch keeper is building quite a reputation for himself. Krul’s shot-stopping has played a critical role in Newcastle’s excellent defensive record this season, which has proved a strong basis for their success. Against a forward-thinking Chelsea side featuring the likes of Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Sturridge, he will be just as important as the attacking instincts of Ba and Ben Arfa.
Chelsea – Juan Mata: The Spaniard has been a revelation this season, making a seamless move into English football. A slippery customer in the attacking midfield role, Mata combines movement, skill, vision and a good eye for goal. With Villas-Boas’ team in disarray, Mata is at the centre of all that is good. Against Wolves, he created two and added the third himself. Newcastle must watch him closely, or condemn themselves to defeat.
Match Prediction
This scintillating clash is almost impossible to predict. Which Chelsea will turn up? The side that beat Wolves 3-0, or the side that lost to Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool (twice)? Villas-Boas will know exactly what to expect from Newcastle, on the other hand; energy, organisation, grit, team spirit and a touch of class.
If the Portuguese can motivate his players, Newcastle could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If not, the Magpies’ solidity and solidarity may well win out. Expect goals and excitement, but this one really could go either way. Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea.
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