As Newcastle United and Chelsea prepare to clash later this afternoon, the fortunes facing both managers could not be any more different. Although the visitors have struggled so far this season, things appear to be slowly picking up after the Blues have been able to string together some positive results across all competitions. However, for the hosts, their misery appears to have no end and their already weary-fans have been already showing signs of frustration due to Newcastle's inability to do the one thing that any supporter wants to see their team do: win a match.
Newcastle United
With just two points and zero wins in their first six games, these are indeed trying times for Newcastle United fans. Only Sunderland and Stoke City - both of whom are also sharing a relegation spot with today's hosts - have also yet to win a game this season. And the Magpies' woes are not only restricted to league play, as they were also defeated by lower-tier side Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup just three days ago. In fact, with the exception of a second-round Capital One Cup win over League Two's Northampton Town this past August, Steve McLaren's men have only managed to avoid defeat on two occasions - when they managed to hold Southampton and Manchester United to draws on matchdays one and three.
McLaren will be pleased to welcome Serbian international Aleksandar Mitrovic back from a ban but will hope that the young attacker keeps that fiery temper in check that saw him sent off against Arsenal early in the team's 1-0 loss. With their Capital One Cup campaign already over, the Magpies will now have to focus all their energies to clawing their way up the table and may be feeling a slight glimmer of hope regarding their chances against Chelsea today. Meanwhile, midfielder Cheick Tiote and striker Papiss Cisse are still struggling with injuries and will likely not feature, although McLaren may be able to call on the services of Daryl Janmaat and Jack Colback.
For any struggling side, welcoming the reigning champions is always daunting task. However, not only are Chelsea still trying to find their way, but also, Newcastle actually have a good home record against the Blues with three wins in their last three home games. Furthermore, St. James's Park does not bear fond memories for Jose Mourinho, who has yet to win upon his five previous trips there, and with two draws and three losses, the Portuguese tactician will surely wish to make sure it stays as such with a vital win later today.
Chelsea
Meanwhile, the Blues appear to have turned a corner after cruising to a 4-1 win over Walsall in the Capital One Cup earlier this week. This marks the first time that Mourinho's men have won three wins on the trot all season and they surely will be hoping to continue building on this as they face a despondent Newcastle United later this afternoon. For Mourinho, there will also be a personal objective as he has yet to win at this ground and after a difficult beginning to the season, Chelsea will be seeking their second straight league win after powering past Arsenal last weekend.
Despite coming into this game having scored ten and conceded just one, critics have pointed out that two of their recent wins did come against Israeli outfit Maccabi and lower-tier side Walsall - hardly teams that should trouble a squad of Chelsea's caliber. Additionally, there are those who feel that the 2-0 result against Arsenal could have been different had the Gunners not had to play the entire second half with just nine men. Still, given that the team are trying to avoid their worst start to a season in nearly three decades, the end result - not the overall performance - is what will count in the end and they will be hoping to keep on building on these results later this afternoon.
Although Diego Costa is serving a ban, Mourinho will still have Radamel Falcao or Loic Remy available to lead the line. Should Remy start, it will be the first time the Frenchman will feature at St. James' Park since turning out for Newcastle on loan during the 2013/2014 season. Whoever is tasked with spearheading Chelsea's attack will be expected to put in a strong shift as the Blues hope to gain some ground on Manchester City who dropped more points earlier today after losing 4-1 to Tottenham.
Will Chelsea finally end their spell of bad luck at St. James' Park? Or will Newcastle United make it four straight home wins against the Blues?
Make sure you don't miss out on this interesting Saturday match by bookmarking out special LiveSoccerTV Newcastle United vs. Chelsea page for specific viewing information for your current location!
Spieldetails, Ergebnis und ursprüngliche Sendungsinfo
Dieses Spiel ist zu Ende. Unten werden die originalen Live-Bilder dieses Spiels angezeigt.
Live-TV-Übertragungen und Streaming in United States
Live-TV-Übertragungen und Streaming in United States
Beobachte das Spiel von unterwegs
Laden Sie unsere iOS und Android Apps herunter und beobachten Sie die Spiele soccer von unterwegs aus. Mit vielen Features wie Live-Spielstände, Spielpläne, Ergebnisse, Tabellen, Aufstellungen, Statistiken, TV-Termine und vieles mehr! Sorry, leider kein Live-Streaming mit dieser App.
