LIVE: Newcastle vs Chelsea – Thomas Tuchel’s men chase victory against winless Toon, plus Manchester City vs Crystal Palace and the rest of the action from Premier League’s 3pm kick-offs
- Chelsea head into the weekend top of the table as they visit Newcastle United
- There are five matches across the Premier League kicking off from 3pm BST
- Latest Premier League news, including live action and results
- Premier League table – as it stands
Chelsea are looking for another win at Newcastle United to keep them top of the Premier League on a busy afternoon featuring five 3pm kick-offs.
Champions Manchester City will be hoping to take advantage if the Blues slip up against the winless Toon when they host Crystal Palace, while Burnley look for their first win against Brentford, and Watford host Southampton.
Liverpool are also in action at home to Brighton & Hove Albion and you can follow more in depth coverage of their clash on this link.
The Blues keep marching on. They took a while to get going but once Reece James plied open the floodgates, the Magpies put up little resistance. The wing-back nets a superb double, capped by Jorginho’s spot-kick.
They extend their lead atop the Premier League with results elsewhere.
Big goal! And it’s a Chelsae loanee who scores it against his parent club’s big title rivals.
Michael Olise slides the ball to Gallagher who finishes inside the box. With Liverpool also drawing with Brighton, it’s a great matchday for the Blues.
Saul comes on for his first away match for the Blues. He replaces Hudson-Odoi, who has another impressive game.
Brentford get one back with Ghoddos showing some gymnastics for his first Premier League goal. Norgaard heads the ball across and Ghoddos leaps for a scissor-kick finish.
The floodgates are open, this could get ugly. Jorginho steps up, sells Darlow with his eyes and sends it straight down the middle. Simple.
Havertz wins a penalty as he runs through on goal. Darlow comes flying out and catches the German. VAR checking, Jorginho ready to take…
The wing-back’s on a hat-trick! Reece James with another sublime finish.
Chelsea counter with Barkley tip-toeing through, and the Englishman passes it over to Loftus Cheek. The midfielder strikes but it’s blocked, sending Darlow off-balance. It falls to James, who fizzes it first-time high into the net long before Darlow can recover.
Chelsea are playing with Newcastle now. The control this Tuchel team commands on games like these is outrageous.
Finally, the Blues make the breakthrough. Stunning finish from Reece James.
Hudson-Odoi does superbly to dance through three Newcastle defenders on the left, making it to the byline. He chips a ball into the box, which is quarter-cleared. It falls to James at the back-post – he takes a touch, sets and smashes across goal and into the top corner. Quality.
Chelsea and Newcastle making changes here, as Newcastle look to avoid a red-card and the Blues look to score a goal.
Yellow-carded Hayden departs for Almiron, while Barkley and Loftus-Cheek come on for Kante and Ziyech.
Saint-Maximin goes on a run, dribbling round two Chelsea players before Ziyech chops him down. The Frenchman trying his best to do it all alone.
Another decent chance for Chelsea, who build-up slowly before Ziyech lays-off for Jorginho to take a shot. The Italian arrives at speed and his shot flies wide.
Ziyech hits it from the edge of the box in an early Chelsea chance. It takes a big deflection and almost loops into the net. Newcastle can’t keep giving the winger space like that.
Newcastle get the ball rolling again. Let’s hope for a little more ambition from the hosts and a little more quality from the visitors.
Back underway in our other games too…
It’s gone from bad to worse for Man City, who are down to 10-men and 1-0 down to Zaha’s early strike.
Zaha is set through on goal but is hauled down by Laporte, who is the last man. The referee has no choice.
It’s level at the break at St James’, after Chelsea swarmed forward to keep Newcastle pegged back but missed their key chances, while Newcastle showed little ambition to attack.
Havertz has missed a sitter and Ziyech had a goal disallowed but the Blues are lacking a little something in attack. As rock-solid as ever at the back, though.
Newcastle have a rare attack, as Ritchie swings in a long-range free-kick with Lascelles and Co up in the Blues box. Chelsea’s powerful defenders deal with it, but it comes back in from Ciaran Clark on hte left and Lascelles stays up – but he can’t get any power on the header.
The Bees are out of sight already! Burnley on the charge, as McNeil finds Cornet unmarked on the edge of the box. Some trickery buys the Frenchman some space and he smashes it into the top corner.
Taylor chips a cross into the box and Lowton rises to head in the hosts’ second.
Best chance yet for Havertz! Hudson-Odoi does well in a tight area to lay it back for Jorginho on the edge, and the Italian pings it to the mauarading James on the right.
The wing-back sends in a lovely cross but Havertz scuffs what should have been a tap-in. The ball goes through to an un-marked Ziyech, but the Morroccan is caught off-balance and sends it over the gaping goal.
Newcastle’s ever-positive play style is in evidence today… they already have Karl Darlow wasting time. Kai Havetz gets frustrated and blocks the goal-kick, and the referee has a word with the pair of them.
Ziyech thinks he’s scored the opener, hitting from the left side of the box with a lovely strike into the top corner – but he’s caught offside moments before.
Chelsea are pouring forward, with nine Newcastle men pushed back into their own box. It’s wave after wave from the European champions, but so far the hosts are holding out well. Havertz has a shot blocked before being caught off-side, as the Blues probe.
Stunner from Che Adams! Armstrong looks to break into the box but takes a heavy touch, which breaks for Adams. The Scot turns on the edge and hits a dipping shot, which loops over the sprawling Ben Foster and into the top corner.
Hayden goes into the book.. and he might be a little fortunate it’s only that. The midfielder dribbles out of defence and takes a heavy touch, sliding in to try and beat Christensen to the ball. Instead his studs connect with the Dane’s ankle in the lunge, and the referee reaches for his pocket.
Issac Hayden goes down hurt and has to limp to the touchline after going in to challenge Hudson-Odoi and planting his foot awkwardly. Looks to be ok, though.
Burnley take the lead, with Matt Lowton hoofing a ball forward towards Chris Wood. Ethan Pinnock makes a mess of his clearance and Wood pounces, hitting the ball on the half-volley and watchiing it fly in from the edge of the box.
City are behind at the Etihad! Great news for Chelsea fans.
The hosts lose the ball and Patrick Viera’s side counter-attack, with Gallagher sliding in Zaha to finish.
Newcastle carve out an early chance, aiming to catch the league leaders out. The Magpies spray the ball out to the left for Ryan Fraser, who strides into the box and aims a low ball across the box – but it’s too far ahead of Wilson.
Kai Havertz gets us going at St James’ as the Chelsea juggernaut sets about mowing down another lowly opponent… or can the new super-club spring a surprise?
Manchester City vs Crystal Palace, Burnley vs Brentford and Watford vs Southampton are all underway too…
Moments away from kick-off at St James’, here’s a final reminder of the line-ups…
Newcastle: Darlow, Ritchie, Clark, Lascelles, Krafth, Manquillo, Fraser, Longstaff, Hayden, Saint-Maximin, Wilson.
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Christensen, Silva, Rudiger, Chilwell, Jorginho, Kante, Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Ziyech.
Kante hits 200 starts this afternoon for Chelsea. What a career in west London.
The Blues won 2-0 on their last trip to St James’, via a Federico Fernandez own-goal and Tammy Abraham’s strike.
Newcastle are keen on Toni Kroos being a central part of their makeover. The links and speculation and already snowballing ahead of January.
No Kovacic, Timo Werner or Lukaku in the Chelsea line-up today, giving Hudson-Odoi and Havertz another chance to shine – while Kante starts alongside Jorginho in midfield in place of the Croatian.
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Good afternoon and welcome to Sportsmail’s coverage of Chelsea against Newcastle, with updates from across the grounds at the other 3pm kick-offs.
Crystal Palace are up in the north-west to face Man City, Burnley play Brentford and Watford host Southampton at Vicarage Road.
Stay tuned right here for all the build-up and live updates from Toby Miles.
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