Match thread: Newcastle vs Chelsea

Last year's fixture between Newcastle and Chelsea was something Jim and I touched on in this week's podcast. Moussa Sissoko scored two goals to give the Magpies a dramatic 3-2 win (his second goal came in the 90th minute). Newcastle had just completed a nice transfer window, one of those transfers came up huge in his home debut, the club had won two straight games. No one Tyneside believed that relegation would be a concern from then on out.

Oh, what a win over a club like Chelsea does for the spirits.

Chelsea come into the match red hot, having not lost a match for the entire month of October. That's Premier League, Champion's League, and League Cup. No draws in that stretch either. To say the Blues are in top form would be an understatement.

Newcastle is moving in reverse. After their 2-2 draw with Liverpool, they lost the derby match to Sunderland and then could not muster a goal against Manchester City's reserves in a 0-2 loss in the League Cup. On top of that, Newcastle's midweek fixture went 120 minutes, with 9 starters playing the whole match.

All the signs point to Chelsea to win this one going away, but Newcastle will have something to prove. And, not always, but every now and again, when the black and white have their backs up against the wall, they come out swinging. Follow along with us today as Newcastle host Chelsea.

Newcastle United

Position: 11th (11 points)

Form: WLLWDL

Line-up: Krul; Debuchy, Williamson, Yanga-Mbiwa, Santon; Sissoko, Tiote (c), Cabaye, Gouffran; Shola Ameobi, Remy

Subs: Elliot, Tavernier, Anita, Obertan, Sammy Ameobi, Ben Arfa, Cisse

Chelsea

Position: 2nd (20 points)

Form: LWDWWW

Line-up: Cech; Ivanovic, D Luiz, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

Subs: Schwarzer, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Mikel, Willian, Schurrle, Eto’o

And don't forget about the Predictor's League. Submissions for that close five minutes before kick-off.