Chelsea vs Newcastle prediction: Sancho and Palmer to dominate Magpies

Chelsea and Newcastle are going to get to know each other very well this week. Sunday’s Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge will be followed by the reverse fixture in Wednesday’s League Cup tie, with both teams looking to push on as the season heads towards the busy winter period (2pm, Sky Sports Main Event).

Enzo Maresca was able to fully rotate his side during the midweek thrashing of Panathinaikos in the Uefa Europa Conference League. Although maligned stars such as Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix shone in Greece with multiple goal contributions, they are unlikely to be rewarded with starts against the Magpies.

The new Chelsea boss has clearly differentiated his league and cup teams so far, with those who romped to victory in Europe more likely to appear during the EFL Cup trip to St. James’ Park instead. As such, Maresca is likely to deploy the team that has driven Chelsea to sixth as the Blues go in search of a return to winning ways in the domestic division after last weekend’s hard-fought loss to Liverpool.

Newcastle are currently 9th and threatening to go either way. Eddie Howe’s side have beaten Tottenham and drawn with Manchester City, but also lost to Fulham and drawn with Everton. Last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to Brighton underlined a consistent issue for the Magpies this season; they are struggling to score goals.

Just once in the last six matches across all competitions have Newcastle netted more than a single goal as Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson’s fitness issues continue to linger. Chelsea do give up chances and are particularly vulnerable to direct teams that get numbers forward, so will still need to be wary of Isak and Anthony Gordon in what should be an entertaining battle in west London.

Betting sites make Chelsea odds-on favourites to win a fixture they have tended to dominate at home, winning 10 of the last 11 league meetings, while Newcastle can be backed at 16/5 to record a first win at Stamford Bridge since 2012.

Jadon Sancho’s addition to Chelsea’s starting lineup has provided Cole Palmer with extra freedom. The former Man City pair link well together, largely because Sancho’s willingness to drop deep and collect the ball frees Palmer up to get into space around the box.

Sancho has provided four assists in the Premier League this season and won the penalty Palmer converted during his four-goal haul against Brighton.

The former Manchester United winger’s assists are often remarkably unspectacular; a simple sideways pass under little pressure, but that speaks to the control Maresca likes his team to employ at home. Sancho is excellent at collecting possession and drawing players to him as he strolls forwards. That is often as useful as directly beating players one-on-one, allowing Palmer and Nicolas Jackson room to exploit as the opposition’s defence shifts to deal with Sancho’s threat.

Football betting sites clearly anticipate a well-rested Sancho and Palmer to punish Newcastle, even though Howe’s men have proven difficult to breach during their spell of inconsistent form.

Chelsea vs Newcastle prediction 1: Cole Palmer to score, assisted by Jadon Sancho - 8/1 William Hill

One problem Newcastle need to overcome at Stamford Bridge is Chelsea’s athleticism across the pitch.

Howe’s midfield is excellent on the ball, but a combination of Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton can be brutish in difficult moments, as neither are particularly adept at dealing with players who are quick on the turn. Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were excellent at wriggling out of trouble against Liverpool, with both looking to play in Sancho or Noni Madueke on the wings.

This could pose a problem for Newcastle’s backline, particularly Dan Burn, whose aggression keeps getting him in trouble. Burn has four yellow cards already this season in the Premier League and will find himself having to halt Jackson, Madueke, and, if he pushes forwards, one of the aforementioned central midfielders.

The giant centre-back is often a vital part of Newcastle completely snuffing out their opponents, but Chelsea’s current confidence and ability to score is likely to leave him facing a difficult 90 minutes, a thought echoed on various betting apps that indicate he may find himself in the referee’s book once more.

Chelsea vs Newcastle prediction 2: Dan Burn to be booked - 4/1 Unibet

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