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The relationship between Jose Mourinho and Sir Bobby Robson is well known and has seen its time on the twitter in meme form. The asserted relationship between Alan Pardew and Jose Mourinho is a bit more of a mystery. Whereas the last two matches were not surprises – you could see the loss to West Ham coming and the draw to Burnley was predictable with the absence of Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback – Pardew has managed to take no fewer than 3 points off of Chelsea in each of his full years in charge.
With Newcastle's winning run not a distant memory in the rear view and Sissoko and Colback returning to the fold, it is not particularly a stretch to see Newcastle being the club to prevent Chelsea becoming the newest Invincibles... but by the same token, Pardew's baffling return to "KICK IT F*CKING FARRRRRR" tactics as his default setting makes it unlikely that we'll see anything positive from this match. Ultimately, this will be Newcastle United. Either a brilliant victory or an ignominious defeat... probably nothing in between. So... let's polish off our morning drinking game and figure out which it will be.
#NUFC v @chelseafc (4-3-3): Elliot; Janmaat, Coloccini (c), S.Taylor, Dummett; Sissoko, Tiote, Colback; Ameobi, Perez, Cabella.
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 6, 2014
#NUFC subs v @chelseafc: Alnwick, Williamson, Haidara, Anita, Gouffran, Riviere, Cisse.
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) December 6, 2014
Team to face Newcastle: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Mikel, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@chelseafc) December 6, 2014
Today's subs: Cech, Filipe Luis, Zouma, Ramires, Schurrle, Remy, Drogba. #CFC
— Chelsea FC (@chelseafc) December 6, 2014