PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: NEWCASTLE UNITED V CHELSEA - PART ONE The Blues current run of success will be tested on Tyneside as we make the longest league trip of the season. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton are ready for the early kick-off… TALKING POINTS Chelsea arrive in Newcastle on the back of two morale-boosting successes over big rivals and with a record of taking 13 from the last 15 possible points in the Barclays Premier League. Another three would place us at the pinnacle, if only for a few hours. After last weekends home triumph over Manchester City Chelsea are just one point down on results in last seasons equivalent fixtures. The Blues stumbled to a 2-3 defeat on the last visit to Tyneside, so victory on Saturday would put the 2013/14 side in credit. This is Newcastles third successive weekend of lunchtime engagements, with the recent loss at Sunderland about as palatable as a stale stottie. The week before, at home to Liverpool, the Magpies led twice and held on for a 2-2 draw with 10 men. Chelseas early starts so far this season have been at Tottenham, a 1-1 draw in which Fernando Torres was harshly red-carded, and the 3-1 win at Norwich. Up to now Jose Mourinho s only victory at St James Park came in the 2006 League Cup. Outplaying Arsenal in their own back yard in that same competition on Tuesday has handed a huge psychological boost to players and supporters ahead of this trip. KEY STAT Chelsea are seeking a seventh successive win in all competitions. There were 10 changes in the Emirates starting line-up for Chelsea, eight for Arsenal, with the difference in the respective depth of quality laid bare. It should not come as a surprise that the team selected seamlessly showed the usual marks of a Mourinho collective: intensity, desire, belief. No players encapsulate that better than Juan Mata , who instigated the move that led to Cesar Azplicuetas opener by winning the ball from an Arsenal corner then fired the decisive second with a fierce right- footed volley, and artful dodger Azpilicueta himself. With others in such good form the Spaniards have demonstrated complete professionalism and commitment when handed the shirt. The result, loudly hailed by the 9,000-strong Chelsea support, was a fine way to mark Mourinhos 200th game in charge. It was his fifth victory in nine unbeaten meetings with Arsene Wenger, who is one of 11 current Premier League managers in the same boat. The only incumbents to have bettered the Portuguese over the course of his career are Mark Hughes , Martin Jol, Robert Martinez and Manuel Pellegrini, all with one win apiece. Sir Alex Ferguson tasted success twice over 14 meetings. The Special One has 100 per cent records against Chris Hughton (one match), Malky Mackay (one), Mauricio Pochettino (four) and this weekends adversary, Toon boss Alan Pardew (four). Tuesday brought the sixth successive win in all competitions for Mourinhos Chelsea in October. The Blues have hit 18 goals since the draw at Spurs, conceding just three. Roll on Mouvember. The quarter-final draw will send us away to either Sunderland or Southampton, whose showdown in the Stadium of Light was rescheduled to 6 November at the request of Northumbria Police anxious to avoid a clash with Newcastle-Man City. Chelseas next match in the competition will be on Tuesday or Wednesday, 17 or 18 December, presenting supporters with the prospect of two midweek trips to Wearside over a fortnight should the Mackems prevail at home next week. Alan Pardew warned that fatigue was again a factor in Newcastles loss to Manchester City and Chelsea have had an extra days rest since the midweek cup exploits. The Magpies manager claimed tiredness had played a part in their derby downfall last weekend, when Gus Poyets Sunderland ground out a 2-1 win over their rivals. Pardew made five personnel changes for the City match on Wednesday, but full-backs Massadio Haidara and Paul Dummett went off early with muscle strains and the extra time required will not have helped those who remained on the pitch. Chelsea have scored a league-best six goals in the final 15 minutes of matches to date, and conceded none. After that Sunderland setback the Newcastle board broke off diplomatic relations with local newspaper The Chronicle and its stablemates The Journal and Sunday Sun. They are excluded from stadium and training ground media facilities indefinitely. Viz Comic is unaffected. Chelsea have rarely received good press in an area where Cockneys start just south of Gateshead and the newspapers sneeringly refer to the United manager as Londoner Pardew. Former Stamford Bridge hero (and Poyet teammate) Dennis Wise was caricatured as one of the Cockney Mafia in his time as director of football on Tyneside. His successor, Joe Kinnear, played right-back for Tottenham against Chelsea in the 1967 FA Cup final. Nine years ago on 6 November 2004 a Chelsea side inspired by Arjen Robben beat dogged Everton 1-0 to leapfrog leaders Arsenal at the top of the table. That night Thierry Henry and co. slipped up, drawing 1-1 at Crystal Palace, and the Blues stayed at number one for the rest of the season. The Gunners again face a test of their title credentials on Saturday evening when they host Liverpool, who are unbeaten in three Emirates visits. Tottenham have returned pointless from each of their last three trips to Goodison Park. Barclays Premier League fixtures Saturday Newcastle v Chelsea 12.45pm BT Sport Fulham v Manchester United 3pm Hull v Sunderland 3pm Manchester City v Norwich 3pm Stoke v Southampton 3pm West Brom v Crystal Palace 3pm West Ham v Aston Villa 3pm Arsenal v Liverpool 5.30pm Sky Sports Sunday Everton v Tottenham 1.30pm Sky Sports Cardiff v Swansea 4pm Sky Sports Barclays Premier League top six Top Pld Gd Pts 1 Arsenal 9 +11 22 2 Chelsea 9 +10 20 3 Liverpool 9 +9 20 4 Tottenham 9 +4 19 5 Southampton 9 +7 18 6 Everton 9 +4 18 11 Newcastle 9 -4 11 CHELSEA STATS Only Southampton (three) and Tottenham (five) have conceded fewer than Chelseas six in nine league outings. Chelsea have lost one of our last 17 Premier League matches. The Blues have won all five league games when we have scored the opening goal. We have won four, drawn three and lost one of our last eight away top- flight league games. Last six results Oct 1 Steaua Bucharest (Champions League a) W 4-0 Oct 6 Norwich (a) W 3-1 Oct 19 Cardiff (h) W 4-1 Oct 22 Schalke (Champions League a) W 3-0 Oct 27 Manchester City (h) W 2-1 Oct 29 Arsenal (Capital One Cup a) W 2-0 Premier League scorers (16) Oscar 4, Hazard 3, Etoo 1, Ivanovic 1, Lampard 1, Mikel 1, Schürrle 1, Terry 1, Torres 1, Willian 1, own goal 1 League games since An away win: 0 An away draw: 1 An away defeat: 2 Chelseas next three games Wed 6 Nov Schalke (Champions League) home 7.45pm Sat 9 Nov West Brom home 3pm Sat 23 Nov West Ham away 5.30pm MILESTONES Petr Cech should play his 446th Chelsea match, placing him sixth on our roster of all-time appearances made. Michael Essien s next appearance will be his 250th for the club. NEWCASTLE STATS Formed 1881 Major trophies 4 League championships, last in 1927 6 FA Cups, last in 1955 1 Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 1 FA Charity Shield in 1909 Newcastle have been Premier League runners-up twice in 1995/96 and 1996/97. Their last major piece of silverware was the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 when they beat Hungarian side Ujpest Dozsa 6-2 over two legs. Last season Premier League - 16th Europa League - Quarter-final FA Cup - Third round Capital One Cup - Third round The Magpies have won five of a possible 12 points at St James Park this term. They have won against Fulham, drawn to West Ham and Liverpool and lost to Hull. Newcastle have lost on the three occasions in the Premier League their opponents opened the scoring. Manager Alan Pardew Days in charge: 1,059 Played 132 Won 49 Drawn 34 Lost 49 Newcastle last 10 year league history Pts Pos Division Level 2002/03 69 3rd Premier League 1 2003/04 56 5th Premier League 1 2004/05 44 14th Premier League 1 2005/06 58 7th Premier League 1 2006/07 43 13th Premier League 1 2007/08 43 12th Premier League 1 2008/09 34 18th Premier League 1 2009/10 102 1st Championship 2 2010/11 46 12th Premier League 1 2012/13 41 16th Premier League 1 Last six results Sep 25 Leeds (Capital One Cup h) W 2-0 Sep 30 Everton (a) L 2-3 Oct 5 Cardiff (a) W 2-1 Oct 19 Liverpool (h) D 2-2 Oct 27 Sunderland (a) L 1-2 Oct 30 Manchester City (Capital One Cup h) L 0-2 Premier League scorers (12) Remy 5, Ben Arfa 2, Cabaye 2, Debuchy 1, Dummett 1, Gouffran 1 League games since A home win: 2 A home draw: 0 A home defeat: 1 MAGPIES MAJOR SUMMER MOVES AND AUTUMN LOANS Ins Loic Remy (QPR, loan), Olivier Kemen (Metz, undisclosed) Outs Steve Harper (Hull, free), Danny Simpson (QPR, free), James Perch (Wigan, £750,000), Dan Gosling (Blackpool, loan), Shane Ferguson (Birmingham, loan), Nile Ranger (Swindon, free). THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE Referee Lee Masons takes charge of his first Chelsea game since the one at Aston Villa in May featuring Frank Lampard s record-breaking 203rd goal for the club. OTHERWISE ENGAGED There are no suspensions. Visit again tomorrow for part two of the Briefing.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 16:44:35 +0000