Chelsea is set to take on Newcastle United on Saturday, February 8th at Stamford Bridge. Last time the teams met the Magpies came away with a 2-0 win over the Blues.
Formation:
Chelsea will be going with their usual 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: Petr Čech
If a match is seen as important to manager Jose Mourinho, the Czech keeper will get the start.
Left Back: César Azpilicueta
Newcastle are not a weak side, and with Ashley Cole’s age and speed affecting his style of play, it will be another chance for the Spaniard Azpilicueta to prove himself as the starting left back.
Center Backs: David Luiz and Gary Cahill
Luiz had a spectacular game in the midfield against giants Manchester City over the weekend. A performance celebrating the halting of Yaya Toure must be rewarded with another start, but in this case he will be in a fully defensive position. Joining Luiz in the middle will be Gary Cahill. Suppressing the Manchester City attacking force was an incredible feat and will be rewarded. Mourinho will rest John Terry.
Right Back: Branislav Ivanovic
He’s simply the best man for the job, and has amazed fans with his work rate. Scoring the winning goal on the weekend has shown he has not lost his ability to attack.
Holding Midfielders: Frank Lampard and Nemanja Matic
Lampard has only 28 minutes of game-time in the last five Premier League matches. He will start this game and will most likely be replaced by the more defensive-minded John Obi Mikel. Matic has been playing like he has been at Chelsea since his departure to Benfica. He’s managed to fill in all of the holes in the Chelsea midfield and is expected to impress once more.
Left Wing: Eden Hazard
One of the best players in the world, Hazard has the fitness to play every game. Hazard has become as reliable and is comparable to the likes of consistency of younger Lampard’s, Terry’s, Cole’s and Čech’s.
Center Attacking Midfield: Mohamed Salah
It was a surprise to see Matic put into the starting lineup so quickly, and it is expected for Salah. The new signing from F.C. Basel will be keen to make an impression in front of his new fans.
Right Wing: Andre Schürrle
The German has yet to make an impact. A player known for scoring goals at Bayer Leverkusen has now been more known for his position on the bench. William has been played in almost every game since the beginning of the new year and surely needs to rest.
Striker: Demba Ba
Both sides want to see former Newcastle striker play against his own team. Of course, this strategy has both positive and negative possibilities. Ba understands how his team plays, but they understand how he plays. It is always a treat to see an old player face an old team.
