Nigeria Content Online

The Blues travel to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United on
Sunday and enter the game off the top of the table for the first time since the
opening day of the Premier League season.

The last few weeks have seen Chelsea slide. Didier Drogba has
not scored for six matches and the 2-0 loss to Liverpool on November 7, which
was the described as a blip has now turned into a full scale slump.

The team has managed almost 60 shots on goal in the games away to
Birmingham, which they lost 1-0 and at home to Zilina in the Champions League,
of which only nine were on target in each game and just two actually hit the
back of the net. The 32 shots on target against Birmingham were the highest
recorded by a side this season in the Premier League.

But their hosts, Newcastle, have already beaten Chelsea this
season; a 4-3 victory at Stamford Bridge in the Carling Cup. A repeat defeat of
the defending champions is not impossible as Chelsea are without John Terry in
the backline while Newcastle have Andy Carroll, who wins everything in the air,
combined with Shola Ameobi in the attack. The defence line of Alex and
Branislav Ivanovic will need to bulk up for the physical battering that will be
thrown at them.

Newcastle have also recorded some heavy scores on Tyneside this
season and the forecast of the team struggling in their season back in the top
flight has yet to materialise. But they go into this game without their two
first-choice centre-backs, Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini, who have
been suspended for three matches each.

Joey Barton will also miss out as he serves the final match of
his ban over the weekend after he admitted a similar violent conduct charge
after the Blackburn game. Sol Campbell and Steven Taylor will almost certainly
come in for their first league starts of the season.

Captain Kevin Nolan will be hoping for a happier outcome against
Chelsea after a disappointing return to his former club last weekend. Nolan
conceded an early penalty against Bolton and also passed up a good scoring
opportunity. Nolan will take a crucial three points no matter how they come,
even if his side does not play at their best.

“When we’re at home, people want to see us go 4-4-2 and attack
teams, and give it our all,” he told the Newcastle Chronicle.

“If we get beaten 4-0, we’re all right, because we’ve had a good
go. It just doesn’t work in the Premier League.”

Newcastle’s home form has been average this season, with just
two wins in seven games, although the victories were heavy wins; 6-0 over Aston
Villa and 5-1 against Sunderland.

The Blues have been defeated thrice in seven games away from the
Bridge; and have not scored an away league goal in four matches. The recent
poor displays have come on the back of injuries to key players, departure of
Ray Wilkins and reports doubting Ancelotti’s future as Chelsea manager have
combined to what can been considered a mid-season crisis.

Chelsea may have won their last two matches at the Magpies but
their record at St James’ is not great. Seven defeats out of their last 15
visits have made Newcastle an unhappy hunting ground for the Blues.

Liverpool may dampen
Tottenham’s enthusiasm

Things are really going very well for Spurs this season. After
taking Liverpool’s place in the Champions League, they have beaten Inter Milan
and Arsenal, so confidence is sky high and they will welcome the visit of a
clearly struggling Gerrard-less Liverpool to White Hart Lane. Though the Reds
have reversed an early season slump by steadily climbing the table and are
three points from their host in sixth, their away form has been very patchy.
They have lost to Stoke City and drawn with Wigan in their last two away games.

Spurs have just qualified for the knockout stages of Europe’s
elite competition and morale is high but Liverpool will hope that their
opponents’ midweek exertions will have left them physically drained and Spurs
have not done well after mid week matches in Europe, just like many Champions
League team.

Very early on in the campaign, they managed to beat Young Boys
but then fell to a shock defeat against an inconsistent Wigan team. Further
down the line, they lost to treble-winners Inter Milan at the San Siro, despite
a good comeback.

Redknapp’s men then drew to Everton. Finally, having surprised
the football world by smashing European Cup winners Inter at the Lane they then
lost to Bolton. After defeating Werder Bremen 3-0 on Wednesday, the pointers
are that they will be dropping points to a resurgent Liverpool side.

But Hodgson’s Premier League away record negates this, the
chances are slim. There should however be an engaging Britain versus Wales
battle, as rampaging Welshman Gareth Bale tussles with England’s right back,
Glen Johnson, who was publicly criticised by Hodgson just a few weeks ago, but
his last game against West Ham elicited praises from Hodgson.

In a week where Liverpool’s new owners NESV appointed Tom Werner as
chairman, the Reds find themselves in a position to kick start their season.