Newcastle vs Chelsea LIVE: Latest updates as Gordon starts crucial Premier League clash in top-five race | OneFootball

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Chelsea cannot afford to calculate Champions League qualification - Maresca

Newcastle United host Chelsea in a crucial Premier League clash as the race for Champions League qualification hots up.

With Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa breathing down their necks, both teams go into the game level on points and goal difference, meaning a win for either side at St James’ Park could be huge in securing a top-five spot. An unexpected slip-up for Manchester City, dropping points in a draw against relegated Southampton, leaves them still within reach for a victor with just two rounds of fixtures to come after this weekend.

Chelsea are in the slightly better form of the two sides, having defeated champions Liverpool last weekend for their third win in a row as Cole Palmer ended his goal drought in a 3-1 victory. Newcastle were held by Brighton last time out and go to Arsenal next weekend, so are perhaps more in need of three points than Chelsea as each club looks to return to the top tier of European competition.

And Newcastle's remaining fixtures are...

Arsenal 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)

Harry Latham-Coyle11 May 2025 11:40

Chelsea's fixtures to come...

Victory 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)

Harry Latham-Coyle11 May 2025 11:35

Eddie Howe ready to splurge on new signing and surpass record fee

Eddie 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."

Alexander Isak is Newcastle’s record signing (PA Wire)