Newcastle closed in on a Champions League place as they battled past a 10-man Chelsea in a crucial Premier League clash.
Eddie Howe’s side, roared on by a home crowd in full voice, climbed up to third in the table with a vital 2-0 victory having begun the day level on points with their opponents. Sandro Tonali gave them a perfect start in the opening minutes before Bruno Guimaraes sealed the three points with a deflected strike late on.
The telling moment in the chase for a top-five place may have come from a Chelsea player, though, with Nicolas Jackson dismissed after a moment of madness. The striker looks set to miss the rest of the season through suspension after thrusting a forearm into the face of Sven Botman, with Enzo Maresca’s men toiling thereafter without a forward replacement on the bench. A meeting with Manchester United is followed by a trip to face Nottingham Forest on the final day for Chelsea with their Champions League chances now seemingly in real peril.
Follow all of the latest from the Premier League fixture in our live blog below:
Newcastle vs Chelsea LIVE
- Newcastle claim crucial 2-0 win over Chelsea to close in on top-five finish
- Eddie Howe's side climb to third as Nicolas Jackson sees red for visitors
- FT: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
- GOAL! NEWCASTLE 2-0 Chelsea (Bruno Guimaraes, 90 minutes)
- RED CARD! Nicolas Jackson is sent off! Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 36 minutes
- GOAL! NEWCASTLE 1-0 Chelsea (Sandro Tonali, 3 minutes)
Newcastle United FC 2 - 0 Chelsea FC
The Nicolas Jackson moment of madness that could cost Chelsea a Champions League place
14:28 , Harry Latham-CoyleSandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes fired Newcastle a step closer to Champions League qualification as 10-man Chelsea’s hopes were dealt a significant blow on Tyneside.
Tonali’s second-minute strike and Bruno’s deflected effort at the death secured a 2-0 victory at St James’ Park on a day when the visitors had to cope with a numerical disadvantage for 55 minutes after striker Nicolas Jackson was sent off for elbowing Sven Botman.
In truth, the Blues made a much better fist of it with 10 than they had with 11, and it took fine second-half saves from Nick Pope to deny Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez an equaliser which might have proved so costly.
The Jackson moment of madness that could cost Chelsea a Champions League place
Nicolas Jackson set to miss rest of the season after red card
14:16 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe defeat is damaging enough for Chelsea, but Nicolas Jackson’s looming ban could be even more costly.
Nicolas Jackson banned for rest of Premier League season after red card
FT: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
14:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleSo how has that result impacted the chase for the Champions League places with two games to go for most of the contenders? It’s looking dicey for Chelsea all of a sudden...
FT: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
14:01 , Harry Latham-CoyleA vital three points for Newcastle, looking ever better for a top-five finish and a Champions League place next season. A tough trip to Arsenal to come next week but they climb above Manchester City with two games to go.
FULL TIME! Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
14:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea, 90 + 5 minutes
13:59 , Harry Latham-CoyleA bit of a bump for Moises Caicedo as he beats Lewis Miley to a header. No major harm done.
Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea, 90 + 3 minutes
13:56 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe home fans are back in full voice now, the nerves gone from their chanting. They are climbing up to third.
Bruno Guimaraes takes leave alongside Alexander Isak. Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson will have 90 seconds or so of action.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE 2-0 Chelsea (Bruno Guimaraes, 90 minutes)
13:54 , Harry Latham-CoyleDeflected...and in! Bruno Guimaraes will claim it and Newcastle will claim the three points.
Dan Burn goes huning for a one-two after a short pass inside, but his Brazilian midfielder has other ideas. On to his right foot he chops to bend towards the right corner, a flick of the outstretched foot of Malo Gusto sending it looping with pinpoint precision over Robert Sanchez and in. That will seal it with five minutes of stoppage time to play.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 90 minutes
13:53 , Harry Latham-CoyleMoises Caicedo escapes a booking again after another foul. Emil Krafth does not for his role in sparking some handbags as tempers flare.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 88 minutes
13:51 , Harry Latham-CoyleTop chance! And passed up by Reece James! An excellent run from the replacement right-back gives him a free header after a crafty diagonal from Malo Gusto...but the amplitude of the flick at goal sends it looping onto the top of the net.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 85 minutes
13:48 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe umpteenth foul from Moises Caicedo allows Newcastle to take another 30 seconds or so out of the contest as their fans gnaw at nails all around St James’ Park.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 84 minutes
13:46 , Harry Latham-CoyleA late equaliser would be huge for Chelsea. Remember they’ve got to go to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest on the final day - a point here could be vital.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 82 minutes
13:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleClose! Enzo Fernandez stabs an effort out, getting impressive power from a short backswing. Nick Pope gets the faintest of fingertips on it to ensure it heads over the bar.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 81 minutes
13:43 , Harry Latham-CoyleAt least until then. A horrid attempted cross from Cole Palmer drifts 10 feet over the crossbar and behind.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 79 minutes
13:42 , Harry Latham-CoylePedro Neto tries to get at Dan Burn, but Lewis Miley provides good support to his teammate. Chelsea just beginning to build a prolonged spell of pressure.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 77 minutes
13:41 , Harry Latham-CoyleThese are a huge final 15 minutes or so in the context of the Champions League place chase. St James’ Park has fallen silent with the tension.
That should be cause to get them off their feet, but Harvey Barnes miscontrols! A clumsy touch from the forward and he spurns the chance into the gloves of a kneeling Robert Sanchez.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 75 minutes
13:38 , Harry Latham-CoyleA double switch from Enzo Maresca. Off go Trevoh Chalobah and Romeo Lavia; on come Malo Gusto and Jadon Sancho. Chalobah was very good again today, ensuring that Chelsea have stayed in it, but is sacrificed for greater forward threat.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 73 minutes
13:36 , Harry Latham-CoyleSuper tackle from Levi Colwill, timing the thrust of his left foot expertly to take ball but not leg as Harvey Barnes attempts to shimmy past him.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 70 minutes
13:33 , Harry Latham-CoyleWild and wayward! A bouncing ball is lashed into the patrons behind the Chelsea goal by Bruno Guimaraes after breaking untracked from midfield. A really fine chance, in the end, and a wretched finish.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 68 minutes
13:31 , Harry Latham-CoyleThey’ve offered much more threat since the change of system, though. Enzo Fernandez wins the ball back in a really good area and Cole Palmer earns a corner.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 66 minutes
13:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleNo activity, really, on the Chelsea bench, a squad assembled at such expense surprisingly lacking in forward options among the substitutes with Christopher Nkunku or Mykhailo Mudryk unavailable at the moment.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 64 minutes
13:27 , Harry Latham-CoyleYou do sense that another Newcastle goal would kill the game off - but they haven’t really looked like adding one since the half-time oranges.
Another change. Emil Krafth comes on for Anthony Gordon. Interesting from Eddie Howe - Jacob Murphy will move further forward on the right.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 62 minutes
13:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleA superb save from Nick Pope! Cole Palmer switches play over to Marc Cucurella, who rifles low across the goalkeeper. A firm left palm keeps it out.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 60 minutes
13:23 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere’s just been a frenetic energy to Newcastle in this half, their cool and composure gone a bit. The crowd try to lift their side.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 57 minutes
13:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleShrewd defending from Levi Colwill, getting his body in the way to prevent Alexander Isak latching on to a forward lift. The Chelsea defender can’t prevent a corner, though.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 56 minutes
13:19 , Harry Latham-CoyleAnthony Gordon and Moises Caicedo seem to have tussled every other minute today. Caicedo times his tackle well here to prevent Gordon launching a trademark inward surge towards the Chelsea box.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 55 minutes
13:18 , Harry Latham-CoyleOff goes Sven Botman, who was very good today after all his injury issues of the last couple of years. Something to build upon.
Lewis Miley is introduced. How will Newcastle reshape? It seems the youngster will go into midfield, with Botman’s removal seeing the hosts revert to a back four.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 54 minutes
13:16 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt appears Newcastle may be readying a change. It’s been a little bit loose from Eddie Howe’s side since the resumption, allowing Chelsea’s 10 men into the game a bit.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 52 minutes
13:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleFernandez has been bright in a few recent outings in a creative role further forward, and a clever turn forces a foul from Fabian Schar for which the Newcastle defender is booked.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 51 minutes
13:14 , Harry Latham-CoyleSo it appears that Enzo Fernandez has pushed further forward for Chelsea to support Cole Palmer, with Marc Cucurella shading upfield on the left to occupy a position betwixt and between a full-back area and the wing. Reece James will thus stay more withdrawn on the right of the back four, with Pedro Neto still over on that side for the visitors.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 49 minutes
13:13 , Harry Latham-CoyleLivramento is immediately leading an attack, too, threading a pass for Anthony Gordon in behind. Was that a nudge in the back from Reece James in the box? Referee John Brooks deems it licit despite Gordon’s appeal for a penalty. The VAR isn’t interested, either.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 48 minutes
13:11 , Harry Latham-CoyleLivramento is shuttling up and down the touchline - is he ok? If so, that’s remarkable given how awkward the fall was. Yes, he’s back out there - great to see because that could have been really, really bad.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 46 minutes
13:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleWill that substitution give Chelsea a bit more solidity? Perhaps sit in a bit and then try and strike on the break late on?
Oh no. That doesn’t look nice at all for Tino Livramento, off balance as he comes down to deck and landing very unpleasantly on his leg, his knee seeming to jolt. He’s sitting up, suggesting it’s not immediately horrific, and he’s helped to his feet. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as it could have been.
Second half...
13:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleA change from Chelsea - and a positional shuffle, too. On comes Reece James for Noni Madueke, with Moises Caicedo moving into midfield, one would think.
HT: Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea
12:57 , Harry Latham-CoyleA slender lead for Newcastle at the interval, with Chelsea a little fortunate to still be in touch. The hosts have been on it since the off, with Sandro Tonali giving them a perfect start and chances following with relative regularity thereafter. The pivotal moment in the top-five race probably came from a Chelsea player, though, Nicolas Jackson throwing his forearm into the face of Sven Botman and given his marching orders.
That will end his season, you’d think - can the 10-man visitors battle back into this one?
CHELSEA DOWN TO 10 MEN
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 11, 2025
Nicolas Jackson is shown a red card for his foul on Sven Botman 🟥
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/rpO4mr2cDL
HALF TIME: Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea
12:52 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 45 + 5 minutes
12:51 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnzo Fernandez is booked for his protestations at a free kick going against Cole Palmer after a tangle of legs with Anthony Gordon. Palmer has to push his captain away to prevent further sanction as the midfielder launches into an even more aggressive inquiry.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 45 + 4 minutes
12:50 , Harry Latham-CoyleA stonking run from Pedro Neto, forced to plough a lone furrow with Nicolas Jackson off the pitch but showing off his pace to accelerate past Dan Burn and draw a corner. Trevoh Chalobah gets his head to it but can’t generate the requisite power to test Nick Pope.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 45 minutes
12:47 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s a good job Trevoh Chalobah has been on it for Chelsea today. Another key intervention from the centre-half after Alexander Isak breaks behind, knocking the Swedish striker off stride just enough to allow Robert Sanchez out to smother.
Into six additional minutes at the end of the half.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 43 minutes
12:44 , Harry Latham-CoyleDan Burn forces Robert Sanchez into a sharp-ish save soon after. Newcastle would love another before the interval.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 42 minutes
12:43 , Harry Latham-CoyleChelsea are essentially now playing without a striker, Cole Palmer slightly ahead of the rest in the press but having to do the job of two men. How damaging could Nicolas Jackson’s moment of madness be to their season?
Top tackle from Trevoh Chalobah to avoid the concession of a second, sliding back in the nick of time on Harvey Barnes. Corner kick.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 40 minutes
12:41 , Harry Latham-CoyleThat is, however, a half chance, and a good block from Dan Burn as Pedro Neto tries to turn a Noni Madueke cross home.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 39 minutes
12:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnzo Maresca’s whining in the ear of the fourth official earns him a booking, the Chelsea manager joining his players in losing his cool a touch. You feel they need half time to reset - we’ve barely seen anything of Cole Palmer.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 38 minutes
12:39 , Harry Latham-CoyleSo nearly 2-0! Dan Burn goes very close with a header. Chelsea are all over the place.
RED CARD! Nicolas Jackson is sent off! Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 36 minutes
12:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleUpgraded to a red card! Nicolas Jackson will play no further part in this game or, barring an appeal, this Premier League season!
I don’t think he necessarily intended to harm Botman, but it just looked a reckless, needless action from the striker, and the glance beforehand at his opponent didn’t at all help. Off he trudges. Problems for Enzo Maresca, with forward cover on the bench lacking.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 34 minutes
12:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleNow then! That looks naughty from Nicolas Jackson, glancing at Sven Botman as the pair prepare to contest a launch forward before thrusting a forearm into the Dutchman’s face. There was a bit of controversy over Tyrone Mings’s challenge on Alex Scott yesterday - it’s a yellow for now but the VAR is taking a look at Jackson’s challenge...
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 32 minutes
12:33 , Harry Latham-CoyleHowls of disappointment as Harvey Barnes plays a strange pass in the final third, the forward not spotting a gut-busting charge from Tino Livramento on the overlap and instead trying, and failing, to find Alexander Isak.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 29 minutes
12:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleMoises Caicedo is perhaps fortunate not to have gone into the book yet. A foul on Anthony Gordon is his third or fourth, though referee John Brooks waves away the Newcastle players inquiring about a card.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 25 minutes
12:27 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe Killer Bs of Botman and Burn certainly give an imposing edge to Newcastle’s backline. At a burly six-foot-four, there aren’t many players in the Premier League that outsize Botman but the Dutchman has to look up to his teammate, who really has enjoyed an outstanding season.
You wouldn’t want to encounter them on the door at the nightclub - and Chelsea aren’t getting much joy at trying to force their way through them so far.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 24 minutes
12:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleWasteful from Pedro Neto, failing to beat the first man with the set piece, as Enzo Fernandez did earlier.
He gets another go. A better outswinger on the second occasion, though comfortably headed clear by Sven Botman.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 23 minutes
12:24 , Harry Latham-CoyleA bit of fortune for Chelsea, a sketchy pass into midfield from Robert Sanchez unpunished with Bruno Guimaraes putting a little too much contact through the back of Romeo Lavia before dispossessing him.
That’s better, though, from the visitors - Nicolas Jackson, seldom sighted so far, earns a corner.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 21 minutes
12:22 , Harry Latham-CoyleChelsea haven’t really got going yet. They are trying their best to hassle and harry Newcastle in forward areas, though haven’t managed to consistently do so without conceding free kicks.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 19 minutes
12:20 , Harry Latham-CoylePoor from Alexander Isak! It’s a far from straightforward chance for the striker as he picks up the pieces after a free kick, but you’d expect a forward of his quality to do rather better than that. Chopped into the ground and simple for Robert Sanchez.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 18 minutes
12:19 , Harry Latham-CoyleAnother Newcastle player hits the deck, Sven Botman caught uncomfortably by Moises Caicedo. After such a long lay-off with a protracted return from an ACL injury, let us hope the Dutchman can put a run of games together to the end of the season - this is not a serious ailment.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 16 minutes
12:17 , Harry Latham-CoyleExcellent defending from Trevoh Chalobah, seemingly burned by Alexander Isak initially yet bursting back to win a battle for a bouncing ball. The centre-half has been a real find in the last few weeks for Enzo Maresca.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 15 minutes
12:16 , Harry Latham-CoyleNewcastle’s system is allowing them to spring forward in great numbers each time they win a turnover of the ball. Jacob Murphy and Tino Livramento are both getting forward with regularity, while Sandro Tonali looks a threat breaking from midfield.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 13 minutes
12:14 , Harry Latham-CoyleThere is serious energy about Newcastle today, getting the home crowd going. Moises Caicedo gets a good header in after the hosts work to the byline, Anthony Gordon disappointed as Harvey Barnes’s cross seems destined to meet him.
Bruno Guimaraes chests down cutely on the follow-up but can’t hit the target with a right-footed volley.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 11 minutes
12:12 , Harry Latham-CoyleChelsea are clinging on a bit here. Tino Livramento is just squeezed out after a shooting chance briefly appears.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 10 minutes
12:11 , Harry Latham-CoyleNewcastle break the shackles and get back into the Chelsea box, but Harvey Barnes - thankfully now moving much more freely - can’t burst his shot between blocking limbs.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 9 minutes
12:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnzo Maresca has a rather fetching salmon jumper on, undeterred by a warm day at St James’ Park. He urges his team into their pressing shape as they look to disrupt Newcastle’s early rhythm.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 6 minutes
12:07 , Harry Latham-CoyleOoh, that looks unpleasant for Harvey Barnes. It was a knock of knees with Trevoh Chalobah, though Barnes will try to run it off.
Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea, 5 minutes
12:06 , Harry Latham-CoyleThis is a bit of a concern for Newcastle - Harvey Barnes goes down having been limping around for a minute or so.
Jacob Murphy is at right-wing-back with Tino Livramento over on the left, and Sven Botman, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn making up the back three for the hosts.
GOAL! NEWCASTLE 1-0 Chelsea (Sandro Tonali, 3 minutes)
12:04 , Harry Latham-CoyleWhat a noise! Newcastle strike first - and fast!
Sandro Tonali taps it home! Newcastle’s new system causes Chelsea all sorts of problems, Anthony Gordon first stressing the left edge before Romeo Lavia gives the ball away to allow Jacob Murphy to explore the right. His ball across evades Harvey Barnes but not the Italian midfielder, who knocks it past Robert Sanchez to give Newcastle a perfect start.
Newcastle 0-0 Chelsea, 2 minutes
12:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleEnzo Fernandez swings it in...straight to Jacob Murphy at the front post. Not the Chelsea captain’s best.
It looks like a back three from Eddie Howe.
Newcastle 0-0 Chelsea, 1 minute
12:02 , Harry Latham-CoyleNeat feet from Pedro Neto, a deft Cruyff turn taking him past a couple of would-be tacklers to create space for a crossing opportunity. It’s deflected behind for a corner. Bright start from Chelsea into the shadows that cloak the Newcastle box.
Up lumber the big men.
KICK OFF!
12:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleA peep of the referee’s whistle and we are underway at St James’ Park.
Newcastle vs Chelsea
11:57 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt’s a glorious day on Tyneside, the sun beating down and the fans in full voice. It’s high noon and a possible top-five shootout - what more could you want?
Counting down to kick-off... ⏳
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) May 11, 2025
Let's do this 😤 pic.twitter.com/ikURfadzUc
Newcastle vs Chelsea
11:47 , Harry Latham-CoyleEddie Howe has been back in front of a TNT Sports microphone ahead of kick off: “I think we know the importance of the game and what’s around it, especially after yesterday’s result.
“Hopefully we’ll see Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock before the end of the season, but there’s no guarantee of that. It obviouslty changes the balance of the team, but Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon have their own qualities. Anthony made a difference last week.
“Learning from our two games against them this season at Stamford Bridge, they showed their qualities. We anticipate a really good game today. We are at home and that’s got to be used to our advantage.”
And Newcastle's remaining fixtures are...
11:40 , Harry Latham-CoyleArsenal and Everton follow this fixture for Newcastle - three home points would be handy, you’d suggest.
Remaining fixtures
11 May: Chelsea (H)
18 May: Arsenal (A)
25 May: Everton (H)
Chelsea's fixtures to come...
11:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleVictory today would be hugely significant for Chelsea, with a meeting with fellow top-five hopefuls Nottingham Forest still to come before the season is out. A penultimate game against Manchester United might be neatly timed given Ruben Amorim’s focus on Europa League success:
11 May: Newcastle (A)
16 May: Manchester United (H)
25 May: Nottingham Forest (A)
Eddie Howe ready to splurge on new signing and surpass record fee
11:25 , Harry Latham-CoyleEddie Howe would be prepared to top the £63m Newcastle paid for record signing Alexander Isak this summer if the right player was available.
The Magpies have been astute in their transfer dealings under their new owners, but have invested heavily in the likes of Isak, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, whose transfer fees all eclipsed the then high of £40m predecessor Mike Ashley forked out for Joelinton in July 2019.
Head coach Howe has not been able to buy a single senior player in the last three transfer windows - and was forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh last summer - because of profitability and sustainability restrictions, but is likely to be in a much better position this time around.
Asked if he would be able to spend as much as £65m on a single signing, he said: "We've not been afraid historically, if the money is there, to sign a big player, i.e. Alex.
"For me, that was big money at the time - still is big money in anyone's world - but we felt he was the right player to spend that money on, so I'm more than happy to do that if that's the right thing and it has the biggest effect for the team and for the squad.
"But I don't think I can give you a clear answer now on what direction we will go because we don't know everything that we need to know."
Eddie Howe reveals double injury blow for Newcastle
11:24 , Harry Latham-CoyleEddie Howe has revealed that Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier miss out through injury today for Newcastle, hence the changes defensively and the reshuffle in midfield.
"It is so tight,” the Newcastle boss told TNT Sports. “You detach yourself from elsewhere and just focus on what you can do.
"Chelsea are on form but so are we. We need the crowd today. We know it is a massive game.
"We have lost Kieran Trippier and Joe Willock to injury, which is a tough one."
Enzo Maresca hopeful Chelsea aren't left to rue missed chances in top-five race
11:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleChelsea head coach Enzo Maresca expressed frustration that his team's wastefulness in front of goal has left Champions League qualification in the balance.
The Blues have struggled at times to convert chances and though they go into today’s crunch meeting with Newcastle with their fate in their own hands, a top-five finish is far from assured.
Maresca has seen his side suffer a number of potentially costly slips this season, including dropping five points to relegated Ipswich and being the only team so far to lose at Portman Road, as well as a run of two wins from 10 between December and February during which they scored just 11 times.
Chelsea are locked together on 63 points with fourth-placed Newcastle and the pair are favourites to wrap up two of the remaining Champions League places.
However, both know a stumble could allow in Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa who are a point and three points behind respectively.
"The frustration is that we've had many games where we've created enough chances to win the game and we didn't win," said Maresca reflecting on his team's position.
"But now is not the moment to think about that. Now is the moment to win as much as we can in these last three games."
They've re-badged it, you fool
11:05 , Harry Latham-CoyleSome intriguing news from Newcastle on Friday, with the club exploring a change of crest to modernise the Magpies’ iconography.
Chelsea team news
10:49 , Harry Latham-CoyleChelsea, perhaps unsurprisingly, are unchanged form their last league outing, with Moises Caicedo again at right-back with Romeo Lavia partnering Enzo Fernandez in midfield.
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Caicedo; Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson.
Team news is in! 👇📋#CFC | #NEWCHE pic.twitter.com/FuZfYzqeC3
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 11, 2025
Team news - Newcastle
10:47 , Harry Latham-CoyleA slight shuffle from Eddie Howe, who looks to have changed his system with all of Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and a recalled Anthony Gordon starting. Sven Botman completes his return from a long lay-off alongside Fabian Schar at the back after featuring off the bench against Brighton.
Newcastle XI: Pope; Livramento, Botman, Schar, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes; Barnes, Gordon, Murphy; Isak.
HOWAY NEWCASTLE! ✊ pic.twitter.com/upmuUzyd0O
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) May 11, 2025
Team news on the way...
10:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleTeam news should be dropping imminently from St James’ Park. What do Eddie Howe and Enzo Maresca have up their sleeves?
Enzo Maresca claims Conference League win would show ‘Chelsea are back’
10:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleA minor trophy the Conference League may be given it is not long at all since Chelsea claimed European glory proper, but Enzo Maresca still feels that success would be hugely positive for the club after some tough years.
Enzo Maresca claims Conference League win would show ‘Chelsea are back’
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on target as Chelsea coast into Conference League final
10:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleAlso into a European final are Chelsea, who had a comfortable enough time in their second leg against Djurgarden on Thursday.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on target as Chelsea coast into Conference League final
Six English teams to play in Champions League thanks to Man United-Tottenham final
10:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleOf course, there will be bumper English representation in Europe’s top tier competition next year after Manchester United and Tottenham progressed to the Europa League final.
Six English teams to play in Champions League thanks to Man United-Tottenham final
Champions League qualification ‘an expectation’ for Newcastle, says Eddie Howe
09:55 , Harry Latham-CoyleEddie Howe certainly feels like Newcastle should be one of the five Champions League representatives next season.
Champions League qualification ‘an expectation’ for Newcastle, says Eddie Howe
Man City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa: Who has the best run-in?
09:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleBest of luck predicting the top-five race - it looks like it could be a doozy of an end to the season, which is a good job with little drama elsewhere.
Newcastle vs Chelsea LIVE
09:09 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe race for a top-five finish in the Premier League is hotting up, with Newcastle and Chelsea firmly in the mix. The pair begin today’s clash level on points, knowing that a win will be huge as they look to secure a Champions League spot next season.
Kick off is at 12pm BST.
