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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 28
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Stamford Bridge
London, England
Monday, 11 March 2024
Kick-off is at 22h00
Chelsea will be looking to climb back into the top half of the
Premier League table when they host Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on Monday, March 11.
The Blues are unbeaten in their last three games, although they needed an 83rd-minute equaliser from Axel Disasi to rescue a 2-2 draw with neighbours Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on March 2.
Mauricio Pochettino's side find themselves two points outside the top 10 in 11th place after winning just one of their last five matches, but they did manage to hold defending champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw prior to the West London derby.
The Magpies opened up a four-point gap to them in eighth position thanks to a 3-0 victory over Wolves at St James' Park on March 2 which took them above Wanderers (10th) and Brighton (9th).
Eddie Howe's side halted a two-game winless run to stay within two points of West Ham (7th), while they cut the gap to Manchester United (6th) to four.
Image Source: Alamy Stock Photo
In team news, Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku, Reece James and Lesley Ugochukwu (all thigh) remain unavailable to the hosts, but Benoit Badiashile (groin), Carney Chukwuemeka (ankle) and Romeo Lavia (thigh) could come back into contention. The visitors continue to be without Sandro Tonali (suspension), Callum Wilson (chest), Joelinton, Matt Targett (both thigh), Nick Pope (shoulder), while Kieran Trippier (calf) is rated doubtful.
Chelsea fans turned on Pochettino during the encounter with the Bees, having seen their team miss out on silverware last month with a 1-0 defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final, where Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic late equaliser at the end of extra time.
The Argentine insists the chants from the stands doesn't concern him, but admits he needs to win over the supporters by delivering results quickly.
"I've been told but I didn't hear [the chants], to be honest. It's normal, we were losing the game 2-1 and they expressed their frustration. Of course, I am responsible, I am the head coach," he said.
"I am not worried [about the relationship with the fans]. We need to accept this relationship. Someone asked me, 'You feel the love from the fans?' No. We need to build our relationship.
"You build your relationship by winning games but at the moment we are not matching the expectation. Normally in football, you pay with the coach or with the people above."
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Howe was pleased to record a first home win in five games and believes his players are starting to gain confidence again after a trying three months.
"Our home form's always been so good since I came to the club, so to have our first wobble here was a concern. I'm delighted to win today. It was a massive game for us," he said after the Wolves win.
"We're not quite where we were last year and at times this year, but I thought it was better. There was a better physical look to us. I thought we saw the confidence beginning to flow back into the group."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Chelsea wins - 2
Newcastle wins - 2
Draws - 1
Premier League Matchday 28 fixtures:
Saturday, March 9
14h30: Manchester United v Everton
17h00: Bournemouth v Sheffield United
17h00: Crystal Palace v Luton Town
17h00: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Fulham
19h30: Arsenal v Brentford
Sunday, March 10
15h00: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur
16h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest
16h00: West Ham United v Burnley
17h45: Liverpool v Manchester City
Monday, March 11
22h00: Chelsea v Newcastle United
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