By Tyne-Talk
May 3 2008

Newcastle United host Chelsea this Bank Holiday Monday in a 4pm Kick Off and with two games to go they will be looking to do their best at overriding Tottenham Hotspur in the league with the potential to just sneak into the top half of the Premier League table. If Newcastle secure 6 points from their final two games and both West Ham and Spurs drop points it is a possibility.

Newcastle go into the game unbeaten in their last 7 games, they have 4 wins and 2 draws from their last 6 games under their belt, whilst Chelsea travel to St James' Park on the back of a result against Manchester United in the league and a win against Liverpool in the Champions League which also gives them 4 wins and 2 draws from their last 6 games.

Newcastle are still without keeper Shay Given, who is replaced by the more than capable Steve Harper, Emre is still sidelined due to injury, as are Stephen Carr, and Peter Ramage.

Mark Viduka who is reported to be struggling with an Achilles injury is likely to play after having an injection to address the problem. Also back in the squad are James Milner (foot), Abdoulaye Faye (groin), David Edgar (head) and Claudio Cacapa who are all returning from injury.

Avram Grant takes a fully fit squad to Newcastle, aside of keeper Cudicini (hamstring), despite Michael Ballack picking up a leg injury against Liverpool in midweek, he looks set to play some part in the match. Grant's Chelsea side will know by the time they Kick Off on Monday whether they have to secure all 6 points from their final matches.

Both managers have given interviews ahead of the penultimate match of the season.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant - who is rumoured to be exiting the club in the summer, said:

"I always like to think the best week didn't come yet. We developed our game each month, sometimes we have bad games but I think we have more good games.

For me reaching the Champions League final was great, the games were very exciting and we want to continue this process."

Kevin Keegan said of Grant and his team:

"Chelsea have had a great season, their manager has had a fantastic season and despite that, he seems to be not doing a very good job there.

All I can say is it makes the rest of us look very vulnerable if Avram Grant is in trouble.

As far as results go and what he has achieved you cannot really knock him."

If Newcastle win, a final 12^th spot is higher than they finished last season. They go into the game with a 5 match, unbeaten, home league run against Chelsea, 3 wins and 2 draws, last season's corresponding fixture ended 0-0.

Newcastle: Harper, Forster, Beye, Enrique, Taylor, Faye, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, N'Zogbia, Duff, Barton, Geremi, Milner, Owen, Smith, Martins, Viduka, Carroll.

Chelsea: Cech, Hilario, Belletti, Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, Ben-Haim, Terry, A Cole, Bridge, J Cole, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Malouda, Kalou, Anelka, Drogba, Shevchenko, Obi, Makelele.

Ref: Steve Bennett

Match Preview/Stats/Thread: Newcastle V Chelsea

Discussion started by TyneTalk (IP Logged), 03/05/2008 10:31

TyneTalk
03/05/2008 10:31

Match Preview/Stats/Thread: Newcastle V Chelsea

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MissC
03/05/2008 10:33

Keep It Here

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CNDShearerFan16
03/05/2008 21:22

I'll get my prediction in early, 2-0 to chelski I'd like to believe but we're not improved enough yet to pull off a shocker.

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tunyc
03/05/2008 21:27

I'm going for 2-2. What the hell. The lads ought to be up for ruining Chelski's season in the league. It's the last at all meaningful thing they'll have a chance to do on the pitch until next season.

Drogba, Owen, Lampard, Martins

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i!
03/05/2008 22:56

2-2.


Get regular updates from one of TyneTalk's mintest posters, follow: [www.twitter.com] @adameverett92

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Scotty - mackem
04/05/2008 00:03

2-1 to newcastle, i hope. Now sunderland cant catch you i hope you beat chelsea, because i hate them. Biggest whingers in the league, terry, cole, cole, drogbra.... annoy me so much. The way they surround the ref on every foul.

I hope you win and Man Utd wins the title!

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ste_ne24
04/05/2008 12:07

as ever an optimist me so 2-1 to the town.. i've told some mates from the north west we'd win them the title monday

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T00N B0Y
04/05/2008 14:50

1-1

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annie
04/05/2008 21:48

2-2

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nathan robinson
05/05/2008 15:13

I'm thinking 2-1 to Chelsea

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ste_ne24
05/05/2008 17:20

chelsea a lot better 2nd half

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CNDShearerFan16
05/05/2008 17:24

Looks like another one half performance by the lads 1-0 to chelsea

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ste_ne24
05/05/2008 17:25

it was coming

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CNDShearerFan16
05/05/2008 17:26

yep

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ste_ne24
05/05/2008 17:37

better lads.. howay we can't get beat by our feeder club

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CNDShearerFan16
05/05/2008 17:45

Who the duece is Florent Mulouda?

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OnTheLevee
05/05/2008 18:00

I think he's some French git who plays football for Chelski..
Anyway, I think we were quite good first half.. could (should) have been at least one goal up.
Second half no so good. Contributing to this, Alan Smith who is worse at keeping possession than Viduka, which is no mean feat.
However, a good sign I think for next year, with a couple of good signings we good be pushing for Europe.
So long SJP for another season.

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ste_ne24
05/05/2008 18:28

yep roll on 08-09.. should be an interesting summer.. apparently theres some international football tournament thingy going on in europe too.. wouldnt know though as some fu cking idiot at the fa decided to employ a complete f uckwitt as manager of england.. never mind eh

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ColoradoMagpie
05/05/2008 19:03

The boys played with heart and effort. Good show I say. They came out in the second and controlled. WE almost weathered that barrage, but they are vieing for #1 and all.

I was very pleased with the effort. Only problem I saw was, once again, lack of finishing:

Owen missed a couple
Baye missed
Geremi's free kick was poor
Duke had an excellent shot gobbled up
Martins had his chances.

Other than finishing, there was tons of effort. Martins left his lungs on the pitch and there were many many excellent efforts. We simply didn't have the talent.

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nathan robinson
05/05/2008 19:26

Owen should have scored 2 but it was just one of those days really, lots of effort but didn't come right for us sadly.

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CNDShearerFan16
05/05/2008 19:34

Well it was certainly more encouraging than the drubbings Man U put on us earlier in the season. Here's to a continued resurgance next year and a win next week to end the season on a high.

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Dub
05/05/2008 19:43

Did anyone else find KK's comments after the game a bit disheartening. The we'll never catch them, we dont have the money to try thing ruined what was a possitive day for me

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CNDShearerFan16
05/05/2008 20:19

Yeah just read that meself and was a little less than impressed.

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Omar_786
05/05/2008 22:17

we deffinatly need a big striker ... how poor were we in the second half after duke went off and was replaced by useless smithy

maybe crouch will be available

terrific effort in the first half though .. beye, owen , duke, martins all had chances


He's The Next Ronaldo (Sir Bob R.I.P)

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tunyc
06/05/2008 17:52

Crouch will be available...and overpriced, as always.

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