Round 17 of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign kicks off at St James’ Park as Newcastle United welcomes Chelsea to Tyneside for the Saturday lunchtime kickoff.
Both teams were successful in their midweek League Cup action, as the Blues saw off Cardiff City 3-1 in the Welsh capital, and the Magpies left it late to beat Fulham 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Newcastle suffered a painful 1-0 away defeat to arch rivals Sunderland last weekend courtesy of Nick Woltermade’s own goal.
Enzo Maresca’s side ended their four-game winless run in all competitions with a 2-0 home victory over Everton last time out.
Match preview
Newcastle have won their last three Premier League home games against Chelsea, last winning more consecutively against them at St James’ Park between 1994 and 1998 (4).
Chelsea lost 2-0 at Newcastle in their last Premier League game against them but haven’t failed to score in consecutive league meetings with the Magpies since February 1933.
37 of the 60 Premier League games between Newcastle and Chelsea have been won by the home side, the most home wins of any fixture in the competition’s history.
The Magpies have conceded in each of their last nine Premier League games. They’ve never gone 10 in a row without a clean sheet under Eddie Howe before.
No side have kept more clean sheets than Chelsea in the Premier League this season (8, level with Arsenal), with the Blues keeping a shutout in five of their last seven league games.
Newcastle have scored exactly two goals in each of their last five Premier League home games and are averaging exactly two goals per game under Eddie Howe at St James’ Park (158 goals in 79 games).
The Blues have kept four clean sheets in their last five away Premier League matches, losing 3-1 to Leeds United at Elland Road in the other game. They’d only kept five clean sheets in their 38 away games beforehand.
Both Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimarães have scored in each of Newcastle’s last two Premier League home games. The last time the same two players scored in three top-flight games in a row at St James’ Park for the Magpies was Lomano Lua-Lua and Alan Shearer between April and August 2002.
Pedro Neto has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Chelsea player this season (8 – 5 goals, 3 assists), with four of his five goals scored coming away from home.
Team news
Newcastle United
Tino Livramento suffered a knee injury in midweek’s League Cup win, so he misses out.
Dan Burn, Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, William Osula and Emil Krafth are sidelined with injuries.
Chelsea
Moises Caicedo returns from a three-game suspension.
Estevao Willian missed the trip to the Welsh capital with a muscle injury, and he remains out.
Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are unavailable for the trip to Tyneside due to injuries.
Predicted line-ups
Newcastle United: Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Miley, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schär, Lewis Hall, Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, Anthony Elanga, Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltermade.
Chelsea: Robert Sánchez, Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, and João Pedro.