Newcastle United will be facing a Chelsea side brimming with confidence when they return to action this weekend – despite the Blues losing 2-1 at Liverpool on Sunday night.
In new coach Enzo Maresca the Blues have made a good start to the season and sit in the top six as third highest goalscorers in the Premier League with 17 goals. Only Liverpool and Man City have beaten Chelsea this season and the Stamford Bridge boss was remarkably relaxed after the loss at Anfield.
He said: “For most parts of the game, we controlled it very well and we need to be proud of this but at the same time, a bit upset because we don’t like to lose games.
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“For sure we can do many, many things better – no doubt – but at the same time, we need to understand that game after game we are getting better. The performance was very good. We don’t like to lose games or drop points but if there is a way for you to do so, then this is the way.”
As Newcastle prepare to head to a venue they have not won at since 2012, Chelsea will be focused on a Europa Conference League encounter at home with Panathinaikos on Thursday night. However, fans can’t read too much into Chelsea’s approach in Europe after Maresca made 11 changes to his Premier League XI when the Blues faced Gent and still triumphed 4-2 in the capital.
Maresca also opted against registering Cole Palmer for European competition to give his talisman plenty of recovery time between domestic fixtures. It means that the England star, who caused Newcastle plenty of damage in the corresponding fixture last season as he played his way into the England squad for Euro 2024, will be fresh to face the Magpies on Sunday.
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