Neck and neck: Newcastle and Chelsea are now level on both points and goal difference in the Premier League table
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Chelsea Football Newsletter
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Your matchday briefing on Chelsea, featuring team news and expert analysis from Malik Ouzia
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Chelsea travel to Newcastle for a huge early kick-off in the Premier League this afternoon.
Sunday’s midday fixture at St James’ Park is a potentially crucial battle in the fierce fight to secure a top-five finish and place in next season’s Champions League.
Newcastle’s dramatic last-gasp draw at Brighton a week ago was promptly followed by Chelsea stunning much-changed champions Liverpool 3-1 at home as Cole Palmer finally ended his 18-game goal drought, meaning Eddie Howe’s side kept hold of fourth spot ahead of their next opponents only by virtue of having scored more so far this season, with their respective points tallies and goal differences now identical.
The Blues go to Tyneside with some strong momentum having now won three successive games in the Premier League in addition to beating Swedish side Djurgarden home and away to seal a place in the Conference League final against LaLiga outfit Real Betis in Wroclaw on May 28.
Enzo Maresca was able to rest most of his first-choice XI for the semi-final second-leg tie on Thursday and they should benefit against Newcastle, who beat Chelsea 2-0 on their run to Carabao Cup glory but were defeated 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the league earlier this season.
How to watch Newcastle vs Chelsea
TV channel: Newcastle vs Chelsea is being shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, beginning at 11am BST ahead of a 12pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also watch the game live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Live blog: Standard Sport will have full coverage of proceedings with our live match blog on Sunday.