Saturday 22nd November Chelsea v Newcastle League leaders Chelsea host a Newcastle side only out of the relegation zone on goal different on Saturday as they bid to maintain their league at the top of the biggest league in the world.
Chelsea maintained their 100% away record with a comfortable 3-0 victory at West Brom last weekend, but it’s been their home record that has prevented them being further ahead in the title race, winning just three of their six matches. Jole Cole and Ricardo Carvalho have been missing for Chelsea this month, whilst Frank Lampard was ruled out of the England squad midweek with an injury and Michael Ballack missed the same game too. Lampard is widely expected to play this match whilst Cole and Carvalho are unlikely to start. Ashley Cole has returned from a calf injury but will have to fight Wayne Bridge for a place in the starting eleven. Nicolas Anelka has been on fire this season and leads the Premier League scoring chart with 12 goals. He is a good shout to score in this match with Newcastle’s poor defence and any rumours of Didier Drogba coming back into the starting lineup with crushed when he was handed a three match ban earlier this week for throwing a coin back at the Burnley supporters in the Carling Cup.
After back-to-back victories over West Brom and Aston Villa, Newcastle went back to their form before Joe Kinnear arrived, by losing at Fulham and then drawing 2-2 at home to ten man Wigan last weekend. All the hype of finishing in the top half and pushing for Europe makes you laugh with results like that. To add further pain to Newcastle fans and joy to the rest of the league, Joey Barton isn’t going to play again in 2008 after suffering knee ligament damage. Michael Owen came off the bench again in the final 20 minutes last week, missing a guilt-edge opportunity before stabbing home Newcastle’s first goal on a rebound. Kinnear said last week he wasn’t ready for a full 90 minutes, we’ll have to wait and see if he is this time round and then whether or not he is capable of breaching a Chelsea defence that has conceded only four goals in thirteen games this season. Newcastle have scored in each of Joe Kinnear’s seven games in charge, but will do well to extend that run this weekend.
Chelsea done the double over Newcastle last season, winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and then 2-0 at St James’ Park. Scolari has a good chance of extending Chelsea’s run over Newcastle with the form that both of these teams enter in.
Best bet: Chelsea to win 2/9
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