"They are still so erratic" – Chris Sutton makes score prediction for Newcastle United vs Chelsea
Ex-Chelsea star Chris Sutton has predicted a 1-1 draw between Newcastle United and the Blues in their Premier League contest at the St. James' Park this Saturday (November 25).
The Blues, who finished in 12th place in the Premier League last season, are 10th in the 2023-24 domestic standings with 16 points from 12 matches. However, they are in stellar form of late, registering five wins and just one defeat in their last eight games in all competitions.
Newcastle United, on the other hand, are seventh in the Premier League standings with 20 points from 12 outings. They have won their past four home league games, keeping a clean sheet in each of them.
In his column for the BBC, Sutton shared his thoughts about the clash:
"Newcastle looked really jaded in their defeat by Bournemouth before the international break. They have got some injured players back in contention, including Alexander Isak, but the question is how fit are they, and how much has changed in two weeks?"
Sutton, who represented Chelsea in 39 games in his career, continued:
"It's a similar story with Chelsea, who could hand Christopher Nkunku his debut but, if that happens, it will probably be off the bench. They are improving, yes, but they are still so erratic, which makes this game almost impossible to call."
Asserting that the Blues have been erratic this season, Sutton added:
"There are signs they have turned a corner and they were so impressive at times against Manchester City but you can't rely on them to play well again. I feel like giving up when it comes to making predictions about Chelsea games anyway – I get their scores wrong every week, so I am ready to be proved wrong again."
Chelsea have a significant upper hand over the Magpies in terms of head-to-head record, registering seven wins in their last 10 meetings.
Glen Johnson lauds Chelsea's Cole Palmer
Speaking to Squawka, ex-Chelsea right-back Glen Johnson has heaped praise on Cole Palmer following his fine start to life in a Blues jersey in the ongoing 2023-24 season. He said:
"Cole Palmer has been doing great. He's obviously got a great mentality stepping up for penalties and performing against his old team. He looks calm on the ball, looks like he's enjoying his football and it's good to see. I think he's the real deal."
Palmer, 21, has cemented himself as a vital starter for Mauricio Pochettino's outfit in his opening few months in London. He has contributed four goals and as many assists in 11 overall games for them so far.
Prior to joining the Blues in a potential £42.5 million move from Manchester City in the summer, the Englishman helped Pep Guardiola's side lift six trophies. He made 41 appearances for City, netting six times.