Newcastle United v Chelsea
- Dec 19, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
It's another huge game on Saturday as Chelsea come to SJP for a televised 12.30 kick off. With 6pts between us and 4th place Chelsea a win would keep us touch with a CL place.
Interesting stat - Newcastle have conceded a goal in each of their last 9 Prem games and another against Chelsea will make it the first in Eddie's time here that we have conceded in 10 consecutive league games.
With the defence ravaged by injuries - Eddie confirmed in his presser that Tino will be out until next year - we could see a back four tomorrow of Miley, Schar, Thiaw and Alex Murphy if Hall isn't considered fit to start.
Nick Pope could be ready to start but Jo definitely won't be.
Willock or Ramsey will start in midfield and I'm expecting Gordon and Murphy to play up front with Woltemade.
Chance creation has to improve
Eddie acknowledged in his presser that a big issue this season has been the fall off in chance creation and that is plainly evident even against teams outside of the top 6.
We've only gone 2-0 up three times this season in the league.
IMO we far too slow and over complicated in our attacking phases giving the oppo too much time to get behind the ball and defensively organised.
Against Fulham - and not for the first time this season - I was hollering for players to have a dig when they were around the box instead of trying to walk our way on goal with one two's.
I also cannot understand why we aren't hitting in far more early crosses for Woltemade, instead our wingers are either coming inside or passing it back and forwards down the touch line.
Against Sunderland, for example, I can't remember one cross that was slung in for Big Nick. An absolute waste of a goal threat when you have a 6'6" ST in the box.
The daft thing was we actually hit more crosses of the type Woltemade would thrive on against Fulham - but they sailed over Wissa's head and out for a goal kick or throw in.
The next 5 league games are crucial to the season
By the 7th of January we will have played Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leeds at home and Man U and Burnley away.
After a congested phase early in the season at the top the League we are now 11pts behind 3rd place Aston Villa and, if we lose tomorrow, it will be 9pts behind Chelsea.
Unless we go on a winning streak akin to the one that had us storming up the table last season, Eddie, the squad and us fans might be staring at a mid table position and finish.
To have any chance of taking a top 4 spot we have to get that winning streak going again - starting tomorrow. It's a cliche I know, but it really is a must win game against Chelsea.
Last Post Eddie's Bingo v Chelsea
I also think we'll have a better second half to the season than the first. Wissa is fit. Woltenmade settled. We have a window and some money to address some obvious weaknesses such as FB backups.
One of the biggest issues we'll need to deal with is how to get Elanga firing. Murphy can't play every game. We can't just go out in Jan and spend another £60m on a winger and right him off yet. Eddie has a big challenge there because I think there's a very good player in there somewhere but he's clearly playing rubbish.
I've never thought that Ramsdale was meant to be competition for Pope. In my view he was brought in as a backup, much as Dubs was, because we failed to recruit a proper competitor for Pope. Almost plan b to failing to permanently sign someone.
That said, his strengths have highlighted Pope's weaknesses even more and vice versa. Neither are what we need going forward.
Bus
We've played 26 games .
So far in all competitions we've scored 43 goals. An average of 1.65 goals. We have another scheduled 26 matches. So 86 goals end of the season. Goal scoring isn't a problem for this team, we just need to remaster the art of slugging it and seeing it out. After a slow start to the season on the goals front. We've scored 14 goals in the last 7 , or 18 in the past 10 games. If your averaging near 2 goals a game which we currently are on recent form then you'll have a successful season. Defensively though we need to trim it down . Overall its 1.15 in all competitions we are conc…
I wonder if he'll bag twenty this season, he's got seven in 14 games, 21 games to go, he'll do well to bag twenty but even 15 in a first PL season is an amazing feat, what did Isak get.