It's fourth against fifth in the Premier League tomorrow (Sunday) as Enzo Maresca and his Chelsea players make the long journey from London to face the Magpies.

The Blues travel to the North East fresh off qualifying for the Conference League final. Djurgarden were dispatched at Stamford Bridge on Thursday evening, but the early kick-off at St James' Park tomorrow (12pm) means little turnaround time for the Chelsea squad.

With three games of the top-flight season remaining, Chelsea and Newcastle are locked on the same number of points (63) and have the same goal difference (+21). It's another reason why victory for either side could prove hugely beneficial in the race to secure Champions League football for next season.

Newcastle recently enjoyed a run of six consecutive victories in all competitions, which included the League Cup final against Liverpool, but have now lost one and drawn one of their last three.  

Chelsea arrive on a run of five successive victories across all competitions including an impressive demolition of the league champions last Sunday. 

Race for the Champions League (Max points possible)

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Maresca confirmed ahead of our Conference League semi-final second leg that forward Marc Guiu, who has been absent since early February, was closing in on a return to action. Wesley Fofana, meanwhile, is sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

Just 62 hours separate the final whistle against Djurgarden and kick-off at St James' Park, it's why Maresca admitted he would have to make a decision on his starting XI after Friday and Saturday's training sessions.

He said: ‘We will see [what the selection is]. The first result against Djurgarden gave us the chance to rotate and protect players for the second leg. But we still have today [Friday] and Saturday to prepare the game, then we will see.

‘It’s a 12pm kick-off and we played on Thursday night, so it’s not the ideal situation, but we need to play and we need to adapt immediately, prepare for the game in the best way, and hopefully continue our good moment.

'We have two days and the players need to be focused on the Newcastle game because it’s the next one. For us, we have to think like it’s the last game of the season, give everything, and then we see at the end [of the game].’

The history

This is the first league season since 1968/69 that Chelsea face a Newcastle side that has won a major trophy.  

Back then, Joe Harvey’s team secured the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and edged our earlier-season league meeting in the north-east.  

Dave Sexton’s side surged into a two-goal lead through fine finishes from Bobby Tambling and Alan Birchenall, but had Peter Bonetti to thank for a string of great saves.  After the break, Tommy Gibb initiated a comeback before Brian ‘Pop’ Robson, who joined the Blues towards the end of his career, netted twice to seal a 3-2 victory.

At Stamford Bridge in April of that season, it was Ian Hutchinson who headed home first for the Londoners. Yet Robson hit back a minute later from the spot after Eddie McCreadie handled.  

Going further back, when the Magpies concluded the 1954/55 season by scooping the FA Cup, while the Londoners were league champions for the first time.  

Both league meetings between the pair were high-scoring affairs. Two goals for Roy Bentley – against his old club – and another from Johnny McNichol inside the first 20 minutes gave Ted Drake’s men a command they never relinquished at St James’ Park in September.

The reverse at the Bridge in February swung dramatically. Inspired by winger Eric Parsons, the Blues took an early lead through Bentley, then grabbed a treble in nine second-half minutes through the skipper, completing his hat-trick, and McNichol.  

Vic Keeble and Jackie Milburn inspired a late comeback for the visitors, but the future title-winners held out for 4-3. 

Tomorrow afternoon, the Londoners are seeking a first win on Tyneside since the 3-0 in October 2021, in which Reece James netted two excellent goals and Jorginho added the gloss with a penalty. 

Know this...

The Magpies have never won a home Premier League game starting at 12pm or earlier, drawing one and losing three.  

Last weekend, Chelsea inflicted the heaviest defeat of the season on champions Liverpool across all competitions (3-1).

Enzo Fernandez’s goal against the Reds was the Blues’ first inside the opening three minutes of a home top-flight match since Toni Rudiger’s against Stoke in December 2017. 

The Argentine has racked up six goal contributions (two goals, four assists) in his past seven games for the Blues, and has created the second-most top-flight chances from open play in 2025 with 34. 

Tottenham (37 wins) and West Ham (32) are the only clubs Chelsea have beaten more times in the Premier League than Newcastle (31).

Moises Caicedo was voted Chelsea’s Men’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season, the third in succession to scoop both awards after Thiago Silva in 2022/23 and Cole Palmer last year. 

On 11 May 2003, Chelsea, needing only a draw to pip visitors Liverpool to a Champions League place, won 2-1 with goals from Marcel Desailly and Jesper Gronkjaer. The same game was the farewell performance of club legend Gianfranco Zola.