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Eddie Howe admits to being concerned about Newcastle United’s attacking shortcomings as they prepare to visit Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
After taking 10 points from their first four games of the campaign, Newcastle have since failed to win any of their last four, drawing two and losing two.
They were beaten 1-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion last time out, a game in which they fired off 21 shots worth 2.02 expected goals (xG), but only hit the target six times.
The Magpies have now gone over a month without scoring from open play since a 3-1 defeat to Fulham in September, failing to net in their last two matches.
“We are going through that spell where we are not scoring. That is always a difficult period for any team,” Howe said as he looked ahead to Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
“The positive is we have been creating chances. We had the moments and maybe in previous games we haven’t had those opportunities.
“I always believe if you continue to create you will get your rewards. I think that is what we have to work towards.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get on with it on the training ground and focus on those big games.”
Getting set for Sunday pic.twitter.com/zmMN2lKcJy
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 23, 2024
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered just their second Premier League defeat under Enzo Maresca last week, going down 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield.
Their last three league defeats have come against last season’s top three sides (also 0-5 versus Arsenal in April, 0-2 against Manchester City in August). The Blues are unbeaten in 19 games against all other teams (13 wins, six draws), scoring 54 goals across these matches.
Maresca received a double boost despite the result at Anfield, as Reece James and Romeo Lavia returned from injury lay-offs, and the Italian was delighted to see them back in action.
“I am very pleased,” he said of the duo. “I am very happy for Reece, for Romeo, for both of them. Hopefully they can stay fit.
“There were many positives, probably the only thing which wasn’t positive was the result.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson
Jackson has been involved in 13 goals in his last 13 Premier League appearances (nine goals, four assists). He also netted the opener in a 3-2 win over Newcastle back in March.
Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes
Barnes has been involved in four goals in his last five away Premier League appearances (three goals, one assist), scoring in his last two games in London against Brentford and Fulham.
The only two Magpies players to score in three in a row in the capital are Peter Beardsley in 1994 and Callum Wilson in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN
Newcastle have won two of their last four Premier League games against Chelsea (one draw, one defeat), as many as they had in their previous 13 (one draw, 10 losses).
They have a poor record at Stamford Bridge, though, where Chelsea have only lost one of their 29 Premier League matches against Newcastle (21 wins, seven draws) – a 2-0 defeat in May 2012 memorable for Papiss Cisse’s stunning volley.
Howe has won two of his Premier League games against Chelsea in charge of Newcastle – only Alan Pardew (four) has beaten the Blues more in the competition with the Magpies.
Howe also beat the Blues four times while with Bournemouth, meaning he could become just the third manager to win three Premier League games against them with two different clubs, after Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn/Liverpool) and David Moyes (Everton/West Ham).
However, since enjoying an eight-game unbeaten run in London in the Premier League between October 2022 and October 2023, Newcastle have lost five of their last seven games in the capital (two wins), so they approach Sunday’s contest as outsiders.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chelsea – 51.2%
Newcastle United – 25.8%
Draw – 23.1%