Chelsea
return to Premier League action for the first time since being beaten 5-3 by
Tottenham as Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge.
Jose Mourinho, who has been charged by the FA for criticising the officials
after the 1-1 draw at Southampton, has witnessed his team drop crucial
points in the last two Premier League games with that draw on the south
coast and that startling result at White Hart Lane.
Man City are now level on points with Chelsea in the title race, with Manuel
Pellegrini’s men travelling to Everton on Saturday.
Newcastle became the first side to inflict a defeat on Chelsea this season
with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park in December.
However, the man who led Newcastle to that victory is longer the manager, as
Alan Pardew ended his turbulent reign to take the Crystal Palace job earlier
this month.
John Carver is in temporary charge while the club search for Pardew’s
successor and will have to rally a team that has only won one game since
beating Mourinho’s men.
Team news
John Terry, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas are expected to return for Chelsea
after they were rested against Watford in the FA Cup.
Carver has said Moussa Sissoko, Daryl Janmaat, Fabricio Coloccini and Jack
Colback will all return after being rested for last week's FA Cup defeat at
Leicester.
Tim Krul will also return from injury that has kept him out since November
to replace Jak Alnwick in the Newcastle goal but Papiss Cisse and Cheick
Tiote are on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Opta stats
Newcastle United have scored the highest proportion of second half goals in
the Barclays Premier League (76%).
Fabregas now has more PL assists this season (14) than any player managed
last term (Steven Gerrard 13).
Chelsea have scored with 18% of their shots and hit the target with 50%;
both are league high figures.
Merson's prediction
I’m going for a walk in the park here. Chelsea have to get back to winning
ways in the league; they were eight points clear at one point and now they
are level on points with Man City. They need to bounce back from the
disastrous result against Tottenham. Newcastle aren’t that great and they
will soon see just what a great job Alan Pardew did at St James’ Park. I saw
their game away to Leicester in the FA Cup, and considering they haven’t won
anything in my lifetime, I just don’t understand why they wouldn’t go for a
cup run to please the fans. They’re not going to get relegated and they are
not going to get into Europe, surely the club have got to try their hardest
in the cups, their game at Leicester really shocked me.
PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0
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