Sabasports Match Preview
Premier League: Newcastle United vs Chelsea
Kickoff Time: 2025-12-20 20:30 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
This season, Newcastle United faces challenges of multi-line operations, with a decline in league performance. Currently, they have 6 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses, with a win rate of less than 50%. One reason for the team’s poor performance is the impact of injuries, particularly in defense. Center-backs Sven Botman and Dan Burn, along with right-back Kieran Trippier, are all on the injury list. In the last 8 matches, the team’s defense has not been effectively rotated, with center-back Malick Thiaw and full-back Tino Livramento starting consecutively. The players’ fatigue level is nearing its peak, and both their bodies and minds may be in an overloaded state. For example, in the midweek EFL Cup, Livramento made 3 mistakes, the most in the team. On the attacking front, player performance has also been lacking. The center forward Nick Woltemade, who joined for a high price of 75 million euros, has yet to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, with only 5 league goals. In the recent Northeastern derby against Sunderland, Woltemade even scored an own goal. After the match, he received the lowest rating in the team, severely impacting his confidence.
Chelsea, on the other hand, took the initiative to rotate in the midweek EFL Cup, allowing key players like Reece James, Enzo Fernández, Cole Palmer, and Marc Cucurella a chance to rest. Additionally, the team’s second most valuable midfielder, Moisés Caicedo, completed a 3-match suspension and will return for this match, further strengthening Chelsea’s midfield. On the attacking front, Chelsea has shown a multi-faceted scoring ability, with 11 players having scored in the league so far, and the same number contributing assists. Of the 27 league goals, 21 have come from assists by teammates, accounting for 77.78%. This demonstrates that Chelsea has maximized their team collaboration spirit. For instance, in the last match where they defeated Everton 2-0, both goals were assisted by Palmer and right-back Malo Gusto. It is evident that full-backs joining the attack has become a major highlight of Chelsea’s tactics.
This season, Chelsea has scored against European giants such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, ensuring their attacking capability. Now, facing a Newcastle United side with a depleted and fatigued defense, Chelsea will surely not miss the opportunity to score. It’s believed that Chelsea can leverage their physical advantage and depth in the squad to defeat Newcastle United.
Newcastle United’s Last 5 Games: WLDWD
25-12-18 Newcastle United 2-1 Fulham
25-12-14 Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle United
25-12-11 Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle United
25-12-06 Newcastle United 2-1 Burnley
25-12-03 Newcastle United 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea’s Last 5 Games: WWLDL
25-12-17 Cardiff City 1-3 Chelsea
25-12-13 Chelsea 2-0 Everton
25-12-10 Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea
25-12-06 Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea
25-12-04 Leeds United 3-1 Chelsea
Head-to-Head Record
25-05-11 Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea
24-10-31 Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea
24-10-27 Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle United
24-03-12 Chelsea 3-2 Newcastle United
23-12-20 Chelsea 1-1 Newcastle United (Penalties 4-2)
Prediction: Chelsea to win away