Why Newcastle United clash is a ‘massive’ game for under fire Chelsea boss - according to ex-Arsenal man

Paul Merson believes Monday’s game against Newcastle United is a ‘massive’ game for Mauricio Pochettino as pressure begins to build on the Argentine. Chelsea have won just one of their last five league matches and saw their chance at silverware slip away when they were defeated by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final a little less than a fortnight ago.

Despite splashing the cash over the last few transfer windows under Todd Boehly, Chelsea currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a defeat on Monday night calling into question their hopes of finishing in a European spot this season. Some sections of Chelsea fans were heard signing Jose Mourinho’s name at the Gtech Community Stadium last weekend before directing their anger at Pochettino himself. 

The 52-year-old has brushed off these chants this week, however, Merson believes the Blues must win on Monday night in order to keep their season alive. Writing in his weekly predictions column on Sportskeeda, Merson said: “Chelsea are four points behind Newcastle with a game in hand, so this is an absolutely massive game for them. 

“If they can win this and go on a bit of a run, it may not be all doom and gloom for Mauricio Pochettino, whose position at the club is likely to be re-evaluated at the end of the season. The Blues are slowly getting better, but they tend to have phases in games. They need to be more consistent over the course of the 90 minutes to start winning more games. Chelsea have some nice games coming up and could end the season well, so I’m going for a 2-1 home win.”