Chelsea vs. Newcastle predictions: Rafa returns, will not take anything home

Chelsea continue their fortuitous run of bottom-half teams to open the holiday period. Rafael Benitez can be a bogey manager, but the Blues should prevail.

Newcastle earned their first point in five games midweek against West Bromwich Albion. They are a team – and they have a manager – that have pinched more than a few points off the Blues over the year. Even so, on balance and on form Antonio Conte should have little cause for concern as our writers predict a comfortable win.

Barrett Rouen: Chelsea 2 – 1 Newcastle United. Chelsea will keep their form going but show that the defence is not necessarily at the same level it was last season.

Shivansh Sareen: 2 – 0. Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard with the goals. An assured performance after a nervy game against Swansea.

Joel Slagle: 3 – 0. Chelsea give DeAndre Yedlin a day to forget. Marcos Alonso gallops into the space left by the American and crosses to to Victor Moses for the first. Moses returns the favor and Alonso posterizes Yedlin, heading home the second. Conte brings on Pedro for Alonso, and he promptly scores the third.

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Travis Tyler: 3 – 1. It all starts so well for Rafa’s Revenge when Newcastle take the lead extremely early. They even get through the first half looking like the dominant team. Then Conte sacrifices a player for morale and they pelt Newcastle’s net until three goals go in, and then keep hammering them until the final whistle leaving most of the Toons in tears.

George Perry: 2 – 0. Antonio Conte will face disciplinary action for gripping the hand of the far-side linesman a bit too firmly for his liking at the post-match handshake. The FA will cite “an escalating pattern of abuse” dating back to Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola will violently assault West Ham’s Pablo Zabaleta on Sunday, calling him a traitor, a turncoat and a never-was after throwing him to the ground and pinning his neck with a scuffed Italian loafer. The international press will go blind writing encomia to Guardiola’s passion and motivational genius.

Scott Brant: 1 – 0. Another must win in order to keep up. Chelsea are 1.5 goal favorites, and Newcastle are definitely a squad the Blues should handle easily. Alvaro Morata to score.

Ajitesh Rasgotra: 0 – 2. Would be funny eh?

Next: Chelsea fans look back on Rafael Benitez' time at Stamford Bridge

Too harsh on Rafael Benitez and his abilities to stymie Chelsea, or sound about right? Leave your predictions below or on Twitter!

And here is how we stand. Two points for the right result, or a whopping five for nailing the score!