It’s an early kickoff on Tyneside today, which means that this game is going to start in just a few short hours! So let’s get to it.
It’s fourth against twelfth, but Newcastle away is never not a daunting proposition. And it’s just the first of many daunting propositions awaiting us this holiday season, with games against two of the top-three (Aston Villa and Manchester City) on tap. We’re gonna need all the festive spirit, and then some!
Date / Time: Saturday, December 20, 2025, 12.30 GMT; 7:30am EST; 6pm IST
Venue: St James’ Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Referee: Andy Madley (on pitch); Peter Bankes (VAR)
Forecast: Cloudy and cold
On TV: TNT Sports 1 (UK); USA, Universo (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); SuperSport Premier League (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: discovery+ (UK); NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); JioHotstar (India); DStv Now (NGA)
Newcastle United team news: After an historic season last year — a fifth place finish (thus Champions League qualification) and their first major trophy in 56 years — this season has been a bit of a letdown so far, with the Magpies struggling to put consistent results together: six wins, six defeats, 21 scored, 20 conceded. Almost perfectly in balance, right in the middle of midtable.
Obviously, the departure of striker Alexander Isak was always going to have a major effect, though his replacements, Nick Woltemade and Yoanne Wissa (now fully fit after several months out with a knee injury) are certainly dangerous in their own right as well.
Manager Eddie Howe will certainly hope that his team can deliver in attack, with his defensive options reduced thanks to injuries. Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Ex-Chelsea prospect Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth, and Jamaal Lascelles are all out, while goalkeeper Nick Pope is doubtful. Another ex-Chelsea kid, Lewis Hall is facing a late fitness test.
The Magpies have only lost three games at home this season — to Arsenal, Liverpool, and Barcelona.
View from the enemy: Coming Home Newcastle
Chelsea team news: It’s not often that we play a team with a worse injury situation than ours, but recently, we’ve actually been doing quite okay in that department. That said, Estêvão misses out with some sort of minor muscular injury while Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Dário Essugo, and Roméo Lavia remain out as usual. Both Delap and Estêvão are expected to be back next weekend.
Enzo Maresca rotated heavily for the League Cup quarterfinal midweek, which should hopefully reinvigorate some of the tired legs in the squad (especially Enzo Fernández).
There’s been a lot of noise around the team and especially Maresca himself — recent speculation about his future, both in terms of his relationship with the board and then with regards to a potential Pep Guardiola exit at Manchester City — but the manager has assured us that he’s happy as can be and everyone’s fully focused on the football.
So let’s get to the football!
Previously: We’ve not won at St James’ Park since 2021 and our last two visits have both ended in 2-0 defeats. Bah, humbug.
