Our prediction for this Premier League match:
All eyes will be on St. James’ Park when Newcastle United and Chelsea square off against each other in the Premier League derby on Matchday 13. The Magpies are hit by injuries, with the likes of Barnes, Anderson, Murphy, Burn, Botman, Targett, and Hall remaining in the recovery room, while attacking duo Callum Wilson – Alexander Isak is rated doubtful for the match. The good news for the hosts is that important midfielders Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron are back from suspension and injury respectively.
The Blues, on the other hand, played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with league leaders Man City before the international break. As Mauricio Pochettino’s men are likely to stick to their attacking style of play, we are tempted to place our bets on both teams to score. The Argentine tactician can’t count on the likes of Chilwell, Fofana, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka for Saturday’s encounter.
Highlighted Player (Thiago Silva):
Brazilian defender Thiago Silva is one of the highest rated defenders in world football. Having emerged from Fluminense youth ranks, the 31-year-old defender established himself as a world-class performer while plying his trade for AC Milan from 2009 to 2012.
Having largely contributed to Rossonerri’s title winning campaign in 2010-11, Thiago Silva moved to Paris Saint-Germain together with Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a reported fee worth €42 million, which made him then second-most expensive defender in football history after Rio Ferdinand.
Silva was an immediate success at the French club, helping Les Parisiens win four consecutive Ligue 1 titles in the process. Heavily linked with a move away from Parc des Princes, fan favourite Thiago Silva remains a key figure at Paris Saint-Germain and a leader of the new wave under head coach Unai Emery. Having already surpassed the 100-game mark for the French giants, Thiago Silva is slowly writing his name in the history books of Paris Saint-Germain.
Highlighted Team (Newcastle):
Newcastle United failed to impress in the 2015/2016 Premier League campaign and, as a result, they dropped to the English second tier. The Magpies will host their rivals at their St. James’ Park in the 2016/2017 Championship campaign and it has to be noted that the capacity of the stadium is 52,354.
Newcastle United have won four domestic trophies (1904/1905, 1906/1907, 1908/1909, 1926/1927), while lifting six FA Cup titles (1910, 1924, 1932, 1951, 1952, 1955) and a number of star players were part of the St. James’ Park outfit in the past.
David Ginola, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Nolberto Solano, Gary Speed, Obafemi Martins and Kevin Nolan are notable footballers who are still remembered at the club. Newcastle’s fiercest rivals are Sunderland and there have always been fireworks when the two local rivals face each other in the Tyne-Wear derby. The color of Newcastle’s home kit is black and white.