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Paul Merson makes March 2023 prediction for Newcastle United and Chelsea

2 years ago
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Paul Merson has been talking about both Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Looking at events at St James Park he declares, ‘Newcastle have been absolutely outstanding to do what they’ve done in the Premier League so far…’

Paul Merson obviously talking about what has been achieved by Eddie Howe and the new owners, in terms of tackling the shambles they inherited from Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley.

As for events at Stamford Bridge, Merson declaring ‘Chelsea are in a bit of a situation at the moment.’

Well that’s an understatement if ever I’ve heard one!

The belated sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich making things very ‘interesting’ at Chelsea, with quite clearly most neutrals hoping this will see the club fall apart after these past couple of decades of Abramovic buying trophies for Chelsea fans.

On Sunday, Paul Merson predicts that Chelsea will comfortably beat Newcastle United by a couple of goals, despite the fact Eddie Howe has his Newcastle team on such a good run, winning six of the last seven Premier League games, 19 points from the last possible 21.

Thomas Tuchel has seen his team pick up 14 points from their last possible 21, though they have won the last four, comprehensively beating Norwich in midweek to suggest that off the pitch problems aren’t affecting the players…yet.

However, the previous four results give Newcastle United some encouragement, as Chelsea drew with Liverpool plus lost to Man City, as well as drawing home and away against Brighton.

Paul Merson thinks Chelsea are now nailed on for a top four finish and Newcastle United safe from relegation. As this Premier League table shows on Saturday morning, the blues are nine points clear of fifth and the black and whites ten points above the bottom three, so pretty much stating the obvious in most people’s opinion.

More interestingly / bizarrely, Paul Merson has also came out with this…’I’m going to go with a comfortable Chelsea win. To be fair, I’d probably predict the same result if this fixture was taking place a year from now.’

Looking ahead to March 2023, just where will Newcastle United and Chelsea be?

They are the two Premier League clubs that I think pretty much every football fan would agree, are the clubs where it is most difficult to predict their futures, over the course of the next year or so and beyond.

Maybe Paul Merson will be proved right, on Sunday and whenever Newcastle United visit Stamford Bridge next season (providing relegation avoided of course).

However, we have already seen how quickly things can change at Newcastle United, with new owners running the club properly these past five months after over 14 years of shameless neglect from Mike Ashley and simply using the football club to try and benefit himself. With amongst the many changes, ditching a Head Coach who wasn’t up to the job, then replacing him with somebody who is a Premier League level boss. Eddie Howe doing a remarkable job, improving pretty much every single existing player, intelligent recruitment in January, then the ability to get these players performing as a unit.

Roman Abramovich would have marked two full decades if still owning Chelsea into 2023, having bought the club in 2003. That looks a ‘little’ unlikely to happen now and the supply of trophies he has bought for the Chelsea fans seemingly set to come to an abrupt end, hopefully. Certainly, whoever buys the club, won’t be going to the lengths that Abramovich went to in funding silverware.

As for Newcastle United fans, trophies still remain a dream…though now, it is a dream that maybe, just maybe, could be finally realised.

Paul Merson speaking to Sportskeeda:

“I’m going to be at this game and I think Chelsea should be able to win.

“Newcastle beat Southampton this week and I think that’s it for them – they should be safe in the Premier League now.

“Chelsea beat Norwich and that’s it for them too – they should make it to the top four.

“Chelsea are in a bit of a situation at the moment.

“Rudiger’s gone anyway – you don’t refuse to sign a contract and lose eighty grand a week for nothing. When players don’t sign contracts, you can take it for granted that they’ll leave more often than not.

“Where can you take Chelsea from here?

“They’re the champions of Europe and they’ve won everything.

“Whoever buys Chelsea at this point will probably just lose money. They’ll have to start selling players – if they can get their money back for Timo Werner, they’ll probably sell him too.

“Newcastle have been absolutely outstanding to do what they’ve done in the Premier League so far, but I’m going to go with a comfortable Chelsea win.

“To be fair, I’d probably predict the same result if this fixture was taking place a year from now.

“Prediction: Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 0”

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