Chelsea v Newcastle

Chelsea and Newcastle are in a midweek tussle this 2nd of May. Kick-off is at 13:30 GMT at Stamford Bridge.

Teams News

Chelsea

Chelsea scored a six-goal wonder against QPR on Sunday, marking their biggest ever goal haul in the west London derby. Led by a Fernando Torres hat trick, John Terry, Daniel Sturridge, and Florent Malouda all found the back of the net, helping their team bounce back from a drab draw against Arsenal last time out.

Roberto Di Matteo may just have turned Chelsea’s season around as his team is now in a better position for a top four finish. But his biggest achievement thus far should be Fernando Torres’ revival — the Spaniard has been clinical in front of goal as of late. Five of his six goals this season have come under the tutelage of Di Matteo who by now must have selection headaches for their upcoming FA Cup and Champions League final matches.

Newcastle

A 4-0 defeat at the DW Stadium saw the Toon relinquish their hold of the fourth spot to Tottenham via an inferior goal difference. The good news is that they are still in the running for a top three finish, but to achieve this, they have to dismantle Chelsea at Stamford Bridge first.

Newcastle’s loss to Wigan ended their remarkable streak of six wins. The loss also cut Papiss Demba Cissé’s scoring run; having scored 9 goals in that six-game winning run, the Senegal forward hit the post twice against Wigan to no avail. Cisse admittedly was the only bright spot for Alan Pardew in game where his team should have at the very least earned a draw.

Newcastle’s game against Chelsea is crucial if they are to finish strong. After Chelsea, the Magpies host Manchester City before visiting Everton for the last game of their season. It’s a heavy schedule but the Toon will surely be up to the challenge.

Chelsea v Newcastle Betting Preview

A Chelsea defeat at Stamford Bridge might be too much to ask for a Newcastle side that is coming off a disappointing weekend loss against Wigan. Recent history does not favor such happening either – the last time Newcastle marched away from the Bridge with a win was on September 2010, in a 4-3 Carling Cup victory. And with Chelsea’s recent form set to stand in their way, Alan Pardew will have to brew something up to get away with a draw at the very least.

Betting Tip

Verdict: Chelsea will win at home, 4-1.

Tip: Fernando Torres to score anytime, and over two goals at 6/5 and 13/2 respectively is too good to turn down (although the former is arguably too conservative). If you fancy another hat-trick outing for the Spaniard, he is staked to score three goals or more at 28/1.

Papiss Cisse hit the post twice last week, and he might just find the net this time around. He is at 7/1 to score the last goal of the game; this is an amusing punt given that Djribril Cisse scored the last goal against Chelsea over the weekend.

All odds are from Bet365.com (£200 FREE BET!).