Key events
It’s so tight. I think he might be just a touch off.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle (Palmer, 4)
So simple! And who else but Palmer. A perfect run from the inside left channel is found by Jackson and he’s away. All he has to do is slide it into the far corner and he does so with ease. Oh, but they’re checking it…. was he offside?
3 min: Jackson collects a ball around halfway and takes a brilliant first touch as he spins away from his man and startsc antering upfield. A short pass to his right finds Madueke who opens his body but it’s a tame shot and Pope saves.
1 min: An early touch for Pope. A cross from Madueke on the right is snaffled by the ‘keeper.
And we’re off!
The players are out and Stamford Bridge looks a picture!
Chelsea in their royal blue, Newcastle in their black and white stripes.
This feels like a proper Premier League bout!
Chelsea fans, what do you make of Nicolas Jackson?
A goal or two today could bring a few more doubters on his side. But another tough day in what has been described as a ‘faltering start’ to the season could heap more pressure on the lad and force his manager to make a tough decision moving forward.
We’ve got out first mail of the day from Eric Peterson on the other side of the Atlantic.
Good morning from Pittsburgh! Slogging through the most annoying weekend of my Premier League season: when the UK departs daylight savings time and the USA has yet to do so. This totally upsets my established Sunday rhythm of the Premier League dovetailing with the NFL. Annoying. With this comes the inevitable anxious lap around this website’s sports links wondering why I can’t find the doggone link to the early MBM – because it won’t be put online for another hour, Eric. Sigh. Year after year. I never learn. The highest-quality pranks, Halloween or otherwise, self-inflicted or not, are the inadvertent ones.
Eric, we are one and the same. Coming from a country that doesn’t bother with daylight savings, I still can’t get my head around this ridiculous approach. I don’t care if it helps the farmers. It does my head in!
In news that will surprise absolutely no one, Roy Keane supports Enzo Maresca publicly calling out Reece James.
“What’s the problem with saying that?”
Roy Keane shares his thoughts on Enzo Maresca saying he wants to see more from Reece James 💭 pic.twitter.com/PCa5QxLHdI
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 27, 2024
Jonathan Liew speaks with Marcel Desailly.
Does that need a hard sell?
Trust me, this is a cracking piece thanks to two legends in their field.
If you thought I wasn’t going to share this goal again, you were very much mistaken.
An absolute worldie from 2012 from one of my favourite players in the league’s history.
It’s been a week of managers publicly blasting their players.
OK, maybe blasting is a bit strong. But both Eddie Howe and Enzo Maresca have singled out big players and have asked them to pull up their socks.
Maresca said he “expected more” from Reece James, adding that the Blues’ dressing room lacked a “proper leader”. Yeowch!
Meanwhile, Howe told Alexander Isak to “focus on football” as the out-of-form Swedish striker unsure on his future at the club.
With an average age of 23 years and 220 days, Chelsea’s starting XI across the season is the youngest in Premier League history.
They’re currently ahead of David O’Leary’s Leeds who finished third in 2000 with an average starting XI aged 24 years and 162 days.
Newcastle team
Two changes as well for Newcastle from their last outing.
They’re both on the wings with Jacob Murphy making way for Miguel Almiron on the left.
Big news on the right. Anthony Gordon is out with a groin injury and is replaced by Harvey Barnes.
Newcastle: Pope; Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Isak, Barnes.
Subs: Odysseas, Ruddy, Krafth, Osula, Murphy, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley.
Chelsea team
Two changes to the side that lost to Liverpool last week.
Wesley Fofana comes into the back four in place of Tosin Adarabioyo. In midfield, Pedro Neto replaces Jadon Sancho on the left.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Fofana, Colwill, Gusto; Lavia, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson.
Subs: Jorgensen, Tosin, Veiga, Cucurella, Enzo, Mudryk, Sancho, Felix, Nkunku.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
On paper, this looks like a cracking contest. Two flawed but enterprising teams, both filled with attacking talent and the ever-present risk of implosion. If you’re a neutral this is exactly what you want for the Sunday 2pm slot under gorgeous blue skies in London.
Both Chelsea and Newcastle are also after redemption. The Blues went down 2-1 to Liverpool last time out in the league while the Mapgies suffered a shock 1-0 reverse at home to Brighton.
Chelsea, currently seventh, could move up to fourth above Arsenal (at least temporarily). Newcastle have had a pretty shambolic start to their campaign and will be desperate for at least a point that would lift them into the top half of the table. A defeat, though, could see them finish the weekend in 13th.
To be frank, anything other than a Chelsea win would come as a surprise. The Blues have not lost a home league game to Newcastle since 2012 and the visitors have struggled for goals recently. But, as the great F1 commentator Murray Walker famously quipped, anything can happen and it usually does.
Kick-off at 2pm BST. Lineups and more news to come.
