Newcastle – Chelsea, Premier League – Prediction

Newcastle have serious absences in defense.

Neither team played in the Champions League during the week, but both were involved in FA Cup matches. Chelsea had the luxury of rotating their squad thanks to an easier draw against Cardiff, while Newcastle mostly relied on their first-choice players in a hard-fought 2–1 win over Fulham, decided by a late goal. The Magpies will be without one of their defensive leaders, Dan Burn, while Livramento, Trippier and Botman are doubtful, as is first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope. Still, the team has quality in attacking areas and, with the backing of their passionate home crowd, they have a strong chance of getting on the scoresheet.

Chelsea face a tough away trip to this stadium.

Chelsea’s last victory at St James’ Park dates back to 2021. The team has struggled here due to Newcastle’s strong home support and the Magpies’ rise over the past few seasons. However, the London side possess outstanding attacking quality. Palmer is available again and was fully rested against Cardiff, so he will be fresh for this match. Neto is in excellent form and scoring regularly, while Garnacho came off the bench against Cardiff and, with his two goals, helped Chelsea secure a place in the semi-finals. Chelsea’s problems are mainly down to individual mistakes, and the absence of Colwill is one of the reasons for that.

We are expecting a dynamic encounter.

Newcastle will play aggressively, while Chelsea will try to finally record a win at this venue. Both teams have defensive absences and often make mistakes, while the attacking quality on both sides is undeniable. We expect an open match with at least three goals.