Newcastle vs Chelsea - Magpies of the Moment Can Sign Off In Style
Form team in the Premier League Newcastle United face Chelsea at St James' Park knowing a win will cement their place in the Top 4 Champions League qualification places before the season stops for the World Cup in Qatar and push them further in the Premier League title race. Champions' Man City's boss Pep Guardiola last week declared Newcastle were in a 7-horse race for the Premier League and that was before their 4-1 spanking of Southampton on the south coast last Sunday: Newcastle are riding high in third place after a sensational October in which they won five Premier League games and drew one at Old Trafford scoring 16 goals and Manager Eddie Howe received the Premier League's October Manager of the Month award and Miguel Almiron both the Player of the Month award and the Goal of the Month accolade: Almiron's stunning strike away to Fulham was one of six Premier League goals he scored in October to cruise to the awards he so richly deserves for his hard work: Newcastle also managed to get through to the next round of the Carabao Cup this week after a 0-0 draw then winning a tense penalty shoot-out against Crystal Palace in which England goalkeeper Nick Pope was the hero saving three penalties: And the Magpies will face Eddie Howe's former club Bournemouth in the next round and have a great chance of winning the competition after holders Liverpool were drawn against Man City in the next round: Chelsea were knocked out of the competition by Man City and Graham Potter's men are struggling of late in The Premier League and have lost to Arsenal and Brighton in recent week and their new manager already faces criticism and pressure from Chelsea fans. The Pensioners are 7th in the table and embarrassingly for Potter below his former club Brighton as his methods fail to arrest Chelsea's stuttering start to the season that saw Thomas Tuchel sacked and they have been affected by injuries including the loss of Reece James who will miss the World Cup next month. Newcastle, meanwhile, boast three players in the England squad in the shape of striker Callum Wilson, goalkeeper Nick Pope and right-back Kieron Trippier: Its a case of Newcastle going from strength to strength while Chelsea are in a period of real transition in the post Roman Abramovich-era but nobody at St James' Park will be underestimating the threat Chelsea still pose with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in their ranks. Eddie Howe will be out for a measure of revenge, however, after a resurgent Newcastle were robbed of a deserved victory and three points at Stamford Bridge last season and may well have the fixture circled in their calendar: Newcastle would have been 10 games unbeaten if they had got a result and might even have sneaked into Europe if not for disgraceful refereeing and VAR officiating: Yet on a level refereeing playing field The Magpies are more than a match for anyone and will beat Chelsea in front of a packed St James' Park under the St James' Park lights. Prediction - Newcastle 5 Chelsea 1 Potential Line-Ups: