Key events
Louise Taylor
An unusually warm north east sun means that there are a lot of men in shorts heading to St James’ Park. Many of them will have taken advantage of Newcastle’s offer of a free pint of beer or cider or a bottled soft drink to those arriving at the ground before 11am. The idea is to lift what club executives fear could be a slightly muted atmosphere ahead of an unusually early kick off.
Presumably they feel the subsequent release of inhibitions will inspire Eddie Howe’s players, while the initial outlay is likely to be recouped by fans buying second and third pints. The interesting thing in this assumption is that the 2022 World Cup in Doha was effectively dry but, for all the legitimate criticisms around Qatar hosting the tournament, the atmosphere within stadiums was excellent.
No alcohol was needed to get the stands rocking – and an additional benefit was that it created a much safer environment, for women in particular. Moreover on a day when, being Sunday, public transport is limited – and non existent in some areas – and a high percentage of fans will drive to the game is it really sensible to encourage them to drink?
On the pitch for this High Noon duel with Chelsea there is a blow for Newcastle as the latterly influential Kieran Trippier has failed a fitness test. This dictates Dan Burn will almost certainly start at left back, leaving Tino Livramento to revert to the right. With Joe Willock also out injured, Howe recalls Anthony Gordon for his first start since March. With Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes also starting, that means Newcastle have three wingers on the pitch.
The Champions League mini-league table
It’s auto-generated, I’m not trolling Brentford.
In the return fixture, a 2-1 win for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Cole Palmer played one of the passes of the season. As nobody once said, genius gonna genius.
“G’day Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas, our antipodean Geordie. “Hope you’re well! Currently out with Mum for dinner (Mother’s Day festivities… got her a present in the hope it’ll score me an early mark… not that she runs my life, I’m an adult now.)
“Gordon and Botman coming back is heartening, although Trippier had really played his way into form in recent weeks. Whether Burn will be exposed in that left-back spot is the big question, though he’s deceptively mobile.
“This is a massive game for us: a win would almost get us to that crucial UCL spot but a loss could be catastrophic (particularly if we start playing poorly and I’m in public).
“I better get going: Num is staring at me.”
I wonder whether the formation is a back five, with Livramento at left wing-back (against the right-footed Neto) and Murphy at right wing-back against the left-footed Madueke.
Read Louise Taylor and Jacob Steinberg’s preview
Who needs to shine if they are to win?
Chelsea: Nothing fancy here – you can’t look past Cole Palmer. The 23-year-old makes Chelsea tick and his mojo was back against Liverpool. A late penalty ended an 18-match goal drought and there was encouragement from a performance full of Palmer’s trademark creative genius.
Not that Chelsea are a one-man team. Moisés Caicedo was named the club’s player of the year last week. The midfielder has continued to excel since being deployed as an auxiliary right-back. The ploy has allowed Enzo Maresca to put Romeo Lavia next to Enzo Fernández, who has been in fine goalscoring form. Nicolas Jackson’s return from a hamstring injury has also sharpened the attack. As for the defence, Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah will have to be at their best against Alexander Isak.
Team news
Two enforced changes for Newcastle from the draw at Brighton last weekend. Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon replace the injured pair of Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock. That either means a change of formation (4-2-3-1? 3-4-3?) or a move back into midfield for Jacob Murphy.
Botman hasn’t started a game since the Carabao Cup semi-final win over Arsenal in early February; Gordon is back in the XI for the first time since being sent off against Brighton in the FA Cup on 2 March.
Chelsea stick with the team that beat Liverpool 3-1.
Newcastle (possible 3-4-3) Pope; Schar, Botman, Burn; Murphy, Bruno Guimaraes Tonali, Livramento; Gordon, Isak, Barnes.
Substitutes: Dubravka, Ruddy, Lascelles, Wilson, Krafth, Osula, Longstaff, Miley, Neave.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson.
Substitutes: Jorgensen, Tosin, Badiashile, Acheampong, Gusto, James, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho, George.
Referee John Brooks.
Preamble
Here we have an English top-flight match played in mid-May between the teams in fourth and fifth place. Once upon a time that would have been a dead rubber. Dodo-dead. Doornail-dead. Dead.
Not anymore. Newcastle and Chelsea meet at St James’ Park this lunchtime in a match that is alive with importance, narrative and – how could we forget – cold, hard, PSR-eligible cash.
Both teams are desperate to qualify for the Champions League next season; both know that, if they lose, they will probably finish the day outside the top five. With three games to go they are level on points and goal difference, with Newcastle ahead on goals scored. That’s where the similarities end. The clash of styles – Newcastle’s high tempo against Chelsea’s patient possession – adds another layer to the contest.
The lack of a title race – at one time we thought Liverpool v Arsenal would be a decider – or relegation battle has also increased the anticipation ahead of this game.. It’s not Liverpool v Arsenal in 1989, sure, or even the alternate-reality Liverpool v Arsenal in 2025. But the mouth never lies, and right now it’s watering big-time.
Kick off 12pm.
