Newcastle United welcome Chelsea to St James’ Park in a high stakes encounter on match-day 17 of the 2025-26 English Premier League campaign, with both sides chasing victory.
Ayomide Oguntimehin provides the lowdown for the December 20th matchup.
Newcastle United vs Chelsea match preview
After finishing fifth in the 2024-25 campaign, Newcastle United have struggled to match the performances of last season and are currently 12th on the league standings after 16 matches. The Magpies four-game unbeaten run was ended in their last outing, after they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. Eddie Howe’s men have won six of their league games so far, recording four draws while they have suffered six defeats as well.
UNITED ✊
Thank you for your support this evening – we’ll see you back at St. James’ Park on Saturday 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/UNnJ3StezS
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 18, 2025
Chelsea, on the other hand, ended a run of four matches without a victory with a comprehensive 2-0 result over Everton last weekend. Cole Palmer returned to the starting lineup for the first time since September and capped his performance with a goal, while Malo Gusto added the second. Enzo Maresca’s men occupy the fourth position in the standings with 28 points, although they are eight points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Head-to-Head Record (Last five meetings)
- 11.05.2025 – Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea
- 30.10.2024 – Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea
- 27.10.2024 – Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle United
- 11.03.2024 – Chelsea 3-2 Newcastle United
- 18.12.2023 – Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle United
Chelsea have narrowly edged this encounter in recent years with three wins to Newcastle United’s two.
However, the Magpies have won both of the last two meetings at their home stadium, while keeping a clean sheet in both matches.
Recent Form: Newcastle United
Newcastle United were on a four-game unbeaten run before suffering a 1-0 loss to Sunderland last weekend in the English Premier League.
The Magpies are also unbeaten in their last eight home matches in all competitions, although they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven outings.
Recent Form: Chelsea
Chelsea have been very inconsistent of late and have won only one of their last five matches in all competitions.
The Blues have also lost two of their last three away matches, and have kept just once clean sheet in their five matches.
Our final away day of 2025. 🛣️ pic.twitter.com/sLm9AxqWht
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 18, 2025
Player to watch: Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)
The experienced defender of Nigerian descent is expected to get more playing minutes in this clash ahead of a tricky run of fixtures during the festive period.
Despite the inconsistency surrounding his performance, Tosin Adarabioyo is a top defender and his aerial prowess makes him a major threat from set-piece positions.
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Best Betting Odds
Over 1.5 Goals – 1.23 (via Betano)
Prediction
This fixture has consistently delivered high-scoring encounters over the years, and with the quality on display from both sides, this meeting is expected to follow the same pattern.
