Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak celebrates scoring against Chelsea.
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak celebrates scoring against Chelsea.
Newcastle United and Chelsea are all-set to collide at St James' Park on Sunday lunchtime in what will likely be a huge match in the context of both clubs' seasons.
Both Eddie Howe and Enzo Maresca's men are battling to qualify for next season's Champions League and - after last weekend's round of fixtures - only goals scored separate the two teams in the Premier League table. With England earning an extra Champions League qualification spot for next season, Newcastle and Chelsea could both still qualify for the competition.
However, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are both hot on their heels and they will be looking to capitalise on any mistakes made. With so much at stake, it may well have been overlooked that Newcastle's next game will be kicking off at an unusual time this weekend.
The two sides will play on Sunday, May 11 in a 12pm kick-off. That decision has been made despite there being no match selected for Saturday lunchtime's 12.30pm slot.
The reason for that (unusually) early start to the game is due to TV selection. TNT Sports will be broadcasting the fixture in the United Kingdom and, normally, their matches are played on Saturday lunchtime.
However, this had to be changed this week owing to Chelsea's involvement in the Conference League on Thursday night. Playing on Saturday lunchtime would be deemed as too short a turnaround for the visitors, and therefore the game would need to be played at least a day later.
The 2pm, 2.15pm, 4pm and 4.30pm slots were unavailable to TNT Sports because of Sky Sports' Super Sunday agreement. This left the broadcaster, who boast Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Ally McCoist as part of their punditry team, with either the midday or 7pm slots to broadcast the match.
The 7pm slots have been chosen this season when an English side - such as Manchester United - have been away from home on Thursday night and then selected by TNT Sports for coverage. But, owing to Chelsea being at home on Thursday evening against Djurgarden, the decision has been made to play the game at lunchtime.
This will be welcome news for visiting Chelsea fans as the last train from Newcastle to London will be leaving at 8.34pm. However, those travelling to Newcastle for the earlier kick-off are unlikely to be able to catch a train from the capital on Sunday and make it to St James' Park for kick-off, presenting a different problem for away supporters.
As always, ChronicleLive will be being you the build-up, updates and reaction right here.
How to follow our NUFC WhatsApp channel
Did you know you can now get Newcastle United stories on WhatsApp? As well as our NUFC communities, we also have a channel dedicated to sending you the best news, opinion and analysis on all things black-and-white.
All you have to do is follow our channel on WhatsApp by clicking this link or you can find us by searching Chronicle Newcastle United.
Updates will then automatically appear if you select the Updates option on your WhatsApp menu and selecting the 'Chronicle - Newcastle United' channel. It's as easy as that. There are already thousands signed up, but remember to turn your notifications on so don't miss out.