“I hope he doesn’t start” This will be one of our most difficult Games of he starts ” – Eddie Howe fears deadly Chelsea attack ahead of Newcastle Clash
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has raised concerns about Chelsea’s firepower. The two sides will face off in a Premier League match that could determine who ends up playing in the Champions League at St. James’ Park on Sunday. The Blues and the Magpies are tied on 63 points, with Newcastle sitting fourth due to a superior goals-scored figure.
When they faced off earlier in the season, goals from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer sealed a 2-1 win for Chelsea. It was Alexander Isak who scored Newcastle’s lone goal, but the Swedish striker could do little else in that game.
Looking back on that last meeting, Howe admitted that it had been tough to take Chelsea on. He also told the press that the Magpies were concerned about the Blues’ attack:
“In the game at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season they were excellent. It was one of our most difficult games of the season. Enzo [Maresca] is a very good manager and very clever with what he does. They’ve got great attacking players who can hurt us and so we need to be ready for that.”
Chelsea Enter the Newcastle Clash in Good Form
Chelsea have achieved consistency in recent games under Enzo Maresca. They beat Liverpool 3-1 in their last match, beat Djurgarden 4-1 before that, and held off Everton with a 1-0 win. They last lost to Legia Warsaw on April 17 in the Conference League, but won the quarter-finals 4-2 on aggregate.
Currently, the Blues have entered the Conference League final. That’s in the distant future, though, so looking towards Sunday, Maresca is likely to start with a full-strength side against Newcastle.
Meanwhile, the Magpies have not had a similarly impressive run of form. They endured a shock 4-1 loss at the hands of Aston Villa on April 19. However, a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace and a 3-0 win over Ipswich make them a serious threat to the Blues.