Newcastle boss Eddie Howe expecting tough test at Stamford Bridge
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe expects Chelsea will still pose a tough test, despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club.
Image credit: PA Images Eddie Howe applauds the Newcastle fans after a recent gameThe resurgent Magpies travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face a club whose owner, Roman Abramovich, was sanctioned by the UK Government on Thursday following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have been granted a special license to see out the season, but this comes with caveats.
Chelsea can no longer sell tickets or merchandise to fans, nor sign or re-sign some of the players they may wish.
Furthermore, their travel spending has been capped, which could threaten their Champions League fixtures in particular.
Despite this, the Blues beat Norwich 3-1 at Carrow Road on Thursday evening and Howe believes the current situation will have no effect on how competitive Chelsea will be.
Speaking ahead of the match, he said, "I don't think it will have any bearing on Chelsea and how they play.
"We can't change our preparation in any way. I'll be watching Chelsea historically and trying to build a game plan to try to go there and win.
"I don't expect anything on the pitch to be any different."
While Chelsea were beating the Canaries, Newcastle were enjoying a win of their own, recording a 2-1 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s.
This extended the Magpies’ unbeaten run to nine games as they have propelled themselves away from the relegation zone.
After last night’s game, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said that his side will still compete, despite the uncertainty.