Palmer wants his Chelsea teammates to be bravePalmer wants his Chelsea teammates to be brave
Palmer wants his Chelsea teammates to be brave | Getty Images
Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been speaking about the danger of St James’ Park ahead of Sunday’s big game.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been speaking about the challenge that awaits him and his teammates at St James’ Park on Saturday. The Blues face Newcastle in Sunday’s early game, and it is the game of the weekend in the Premier League, with both sides pushing for a Champions League spot.
The two sides are currently separated by goal difference only, with the Magpies slightly better off, but third placed Manchester City dropped two huge points on Saturday by drawing with bottom club Southampton. That means if one of Chelsea or Newcastle win on Sunday, they will move up to third and a point ahead of City.
Below fifth place, Aston Villa are now just goal difference below Chelsea and Newcastle having picked up a big win of their own on Saturday, while Nottingham Forest are two points behind but yet to play.
Chelsea are expecting to walk into a big atmosphere in the North-East on Sunday, and that’s something Chelsea star Cole Palmer has acknowledged, highlighting the impact of St James’ Park. “Every game this season has been tough, and we will expect another one at Newcastle,” he said.
“Obviously we know what our aim is, and it will be the same for them. Newcastle is a big game for us, we know what the stadium is like. They are in a Champions League spot as well, so it’ll be a tough game, but we are going there to win. Hopefully, we can do that. We need to go there, be brave, and stick together. If we go there and aren’t confident in our approach, then we won't get a result. So, we will need to be on it.”
Another Chelsea star in Noni Madueke also spoke about the importance of this game, adding when speaking to the club website: “It’s a massive game. The three games we have left are going to be vital, but we definitely want to go to St James’ Park and try and get a win. That’s how we will approach it, and we can do it. Everyone knows we have aspirations to finish in the Champions League positions, and the great win against Liverpool was a massive step forward.
“Now I just want to win the rest of the games. I’m not too bothered about what I do as an individual, in the best way possible. It’s more about trying to win these games as a collective. Of course, I always try to affect the game and do my job - it helps my team if I play well - but it’s really about the collective right now.”
Chelsea now have a Conference League final with Real Betis to look forward to in less than two weeks, headed to Wroclaw for the final. If Enzo Maresca’s men can win that game and secure Champions League football with a top five finish, it would represent an impressive season of progress for the Blues, who have endured a rocky few years. But the Champions League element of that is no gimme, with Chelsea facing Newcastle, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in their last three games. They are going to have to earn it.
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