Chelsea vs Newcastle: EPL Match Preview, Predicted Line-ups and Fantasy XI

The Blues will end their terrible season on Sunday with a home game during Chelsea vs Newcastle United, with the mood in the two respective camps very different.

Match Details:

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge
• Date: Sunday 28 May
• Kick-off Time: 16:30 BST / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT
• Referee: Jarred Gillett
• VAR: Peter Banks

Chelsea vs Newcastle: Match Preview

Chelsea vs Newcastle United is a game featuring teams with little to play for ahead of their Stamford Bridge meeting in the final round of Premier League fixtures. The Blues will finish the campaign with their worst-ever points tally in the Premier League era and could stoop as low as 14th in the table should results go against them on the final day.

The fact that it is the final game of the season will come as music to the ears of Chelsea supporters, who are desperate for the season to end. It has been a truly miserable campaign for the club despite spending over £600 million on new signings over the past couple of transfer windows under the new ownership.

Sixteen defeats in a single season is an unpleasant club record for Chelsea, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Lampard all in the dugout at Stamford Bridge. A 4-1 thrashing at Manchester United on Thursday really epitomised their season.

All set for tomorrow's season finale.

HWTL! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Y53LpZnfiO

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) May 27, 2023

A new chapter is about to begin, with Mauricio Pochettino expected to be appointed as the next permanent head coach in the coming months. Although Lampard was unable to turn around Chelsea's fortunes in a dismal campaign, the manager will hope to end his second stint in charge of the club on a positive note at least.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, will sign off for the season at Stamford Bridge, having already secured a top-four finish and Champions League football for next season thanks to a scoreless draw against Leicester City on Monday night.

It has been 20 years since the Magpies last played in Europe's premier club competition. But they are now assured of finishing in the top four of the Premier League. Qualification caps off a very impressive season for Eddie Howe's side, who also reached the Carabao Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United.

What's more, the Magpies could still reclaim their third spot should they beat Chelsea and Manchester United drop points at home to Fulham in the final game of the season.

The visitors will be smelling the chance to make a final weekend statement in the capital. Only continuing on what has been a history-making flurry, Howe's side will be looking to cash in on a Chelsea side that are firmly in the midst of what has been a public crisis.

Team News:

Chelsea:

A hamstring injury ruled Raheem Sterling out of the Manchester United defeat and the winger now occupies a treatment room alongside *deep breath*: Ben Chilwell, Mason Mount, Reece James, Armando Broja, Marc Cucurella, N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Marcus Bettinelli and Benoit Badiashile.

Newcastle next. 👊#CheNew pic.twitter.com/ZFd0btG0l3

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 27, 2023

Chelsea's young players were the stand-out performers in midweek and that should play into Frank Lampard's thinking as he looks to end this bitterly disappointing campaign on anything other than the lowest of lows.

Newcastle:

Goalkeeper Nick Pope has gone under the knife to address an injury and will be replaced by Martin Dubravka.

BG39. 🇧🇷🫶 pic.twitter.com/U2DR3VvPaO

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) May 26, 2023

Also on the sidelines are Jamaal Lascelles, Joe Willock, Emil Krafth, Matt Ritchie, Joelinton and Javier Manquillo.

Chelsea vs Newcastle: Head to Head:

Chelsea have a good historical record against Newcastle United and have won 78 out of the 172 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Newcastle United's 55 victories.

Chelsea have lost only one of their last 27 matches at home against Newcastle United in the Premier League, with their previous such defeat coming by a 2-0 scoreline in 2012.

Newcastle United won the reverse fixture by a narrow 1-0 scoreline and could complete a Premier League double for the first since the 1986-87 campaign.

Predicted Line-ups:

Chelsea predicted lineup (3-4-3): Kepa; W Fofana, Silva, Chalobah; Loftus-Cheek, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka, Hall; Madueke, D Fofana, Felix

Newcastle predicted lineup: (4-3-3): Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Anderson; Almiron, Wilson, Isak

CHE vs NEW: Fantasy XI

Kepa; W Fofana, Silva, Botman, Fernandez, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Madueke, Wilson, Isak, Felix