Chelsea vs Newcastle United
England – Premier League
Date: Saturday, 19 October 2019
Kick-off at 15:00 UK/ 16:00 CET
Venue: Stamford Bridge (London).
Preview: Chelsea vs. Newcastle United
Chelsea
After collecting a run of four wins in 11 days, the international break came at the wrong time for Chelsea as they bid to keep pace with the club in the top flight form.
However, Frank Lampard might have been content to take a step back to assess the development of the team that, for all its potential, still in transition.
Although ultimately keep a clean sheet this season, there are still clear signs that Chelsea must improve at the back if they are kicked to the next level, although Lampard will have far fewer concerns about attacks.
Has netted eight goals in the match against Brighton & Hove Albion, Lille and Southampton respectively, the strike is being shared by six different players.
Callum Hudson-Odoi has also contributed three assists as the vessels, leaving the Chelsea fans salivating at the prospect of a teenager, Mason Mountain and Tammy Abraham become long-term residents of a role in the final third.
However, although now only sit two points adrift of second-placed Manchester City, no one at Chelsea is getting carried away with the steps that they have taken in recent weeks.
Lampard had to find a way to manage his squad through seven matches over three weeks, which also included a double header with Ajax in the Champions League.
While the newly appointed boss has shown a preference for youth since the beginning of the campaign, he has now reached the stage of the season where he will have to make more changes to the system and personnel, leaving Chelsea with a further hurdle to overcome if they are to continue the upward curve.
The latest form: WDWLWW
The latest form (all competitions): LLWWWW
Newcastle United
Although it has undergone many critics before and after his appointment at St James' Park, Steve Bruce now finds himself in a place where the foundations have been laid to take his team forward.
While the 5-0 defeat at Leicester City is naturally regarded as a significant setback, eventually act as a catalyst for a committed performance that led to victory over Man United before the international break.
Clothing North-East far from perfect during the contest, although the work-rate - especially in the middle of the park - giving the club supporters something to get behind when they move themselves out of the relegation zone.
The result marked the second victory over one of the last six seasons - the other coming at Tottenham Hotspur - and it will give Bruce and his squad with all the confidence they need to get a result at Stamford Bridge.
Bruce will be hoping that the academy graduates Matty Longstaff can replicate the performance he produced against United, despite stiff task tend to wait for the young people in the area by far.
However, Newcastle have been longing for a player to come out of the youth setup to make an impact with the seniors, and Bruce may feel that develop partnerships between Matty and his brother Sean would go some way to win over the fans.
With Newcastle just one point above the relegation zone, however, Bruce must find a balance between choosing a team with head and heart, with which there is no room for sentiment in the battle to keep the team above the bottom three.
Despite the positive results in the British capital this weekend is arguably considered as a bonus, Bruce realized that the points should be recorded on a regular basis if he is to keep the club fanbase in the long term.
The latest form: WDLDLW
The latest form (all competitions): DDLDLW
PREDICTION
Newcastle will bounce after beating Man Utd but they can be sent crashing back to earth at Stamford Bridge. Abraham was in fine form and should help himself to a goal if visitors do not double-up on him, but it will leave people like Mount and Willian space to wreak havoc. All signs point to a home win.
scoreline predictions: Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle
