Newcastle United vs Chelsea: Why Huge Champions League Decider Has Bizarre Kickoff Time
- Newcastle United will lock horns with Chelsea on Sunday afternoon in a game that will have severe ramifications for either side
- Both teams are involved in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League, with only three games left before the season ends
- The game has been handed a weird kickoff time as it won't begin at the time when Sunday games in the Premier League normally start
Chelsea will travel to St. James Park on Sunday afternoon to play Newcastle United in what is expected to be a huge game.
Source: Getty Images
Race for the Champions League
The two clubs will walk into the game occupying the fourth and fifth positions on the Premier League table as the race to qualify for the Champions League next season heats up.
The top five Premier League clubs will play in the Big Boys League next season. As things stand, the race is expected to go down to the wire as only five points separate second-placed Arsenal and seventh-placed Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle United vs Chelsea preview
The Magpies are already guaranteed a spot in the UEFA Conference League after winning the Carabao Cup in March. Eddie Howe's side will, however, be one of the favourites to seal a top-five place.
They have only lost once in their last eight games, which came at the hands of Aston Villa in a heavy 4-1 defeat.
Chelsea, meanwhile, is seemingly finishing the season strong after a collapse from December to February, which threatened to derail the gains Enzo Maresca had made in his first months in charge.
The Blues' last defeat in the league was in mid-March when they narrowly lost to Arsenal. They could secure Europa League football by winning the Conference League, but the two-time Champions League winners will be desperate to get back to the top competition.
"Every game this season has been tough, and we will expect another one at Newcastle. Obviously we know what our aim is, and it will be the same for them. Newcastle is a big game for us, we know what the stadium is like. They are in a Champions League spot as well, so it’ll be a tough game, but we are going there to win. Hopefully, we can do that," said star forward Cole Palmer via Chelseafc.com.
"We need to go there, be brave, and stick together. If we go there and aren’t confident in our approach, then we won't get a result. So, we will need to be on it."
Why Newcastle vs Chelsea has a bizarre kickoff time
The game in Tyneside will kick off at 2 pm EAT, which is a bizarre time for Premier League games on Sunday. EPL games often start at 4 pm on Sunday when there is Daylight Saving, with the late game starting at 6:30 pm.
The game was initially set for the early kickoff on Saturday, May 10, but thanks to Chelsea's progression in the Conference League, the game had to be rescheduled, as confirmed by a Newcastle statement in April.
Chelsea were in action on Thursday against Djurgårdens, and that meant they couldn't compete again until Sunday.
So to ensure the game was televised in the United Kingdom, it had to be scheduled earlier than the other kickoffs set for Sunday.
Source: Getty Images
Which other games will be played on Sunday?
The other games will see the Europa League finalists Tottenham and Manchester United in action. Spurs will be at home to Crystal Palace while United will host West Ham. Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest will play already-relegated Leicester City.
The big game of the weekend will come at Anfield when Arsenal give a guard of honour to the newly-crowned champions Liverpool before their game, which will start at 6:30 pm.
Why Chelsea could be banned from Champions League
In a related report, Chelsea could be banned from the Champions League, even if they finish in the top five places.
The Blues are one of the teams involved in the battle for the top European club competition.
However, UEFA rules could see Maresca's side fail to play in the Champions League due to their owners, BlueCo.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
