Chelsea will finally end their dismal season this afternoon as they face Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have endured the worst Premier League campaign in the club's history.
Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both relieved of their duties with Frank Lampard being unable to turn Chelsea's fortunes around during his spell as caretaker boss until the end of the 2022/23 season. football.london understands Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the next permanent head coach at Stamford Bridge next term despite an announcement not yet being confirmed by the club.
Todd Boehly is set to sell a number of senior players this summer as he looks to trim down the squad ahead of Pochettino's arrival. The clash against Eddie Howe's side will be the last time players have a chance to prove they deserve to stay with the club next term.
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino to Chelsea latest: Deal agreed, announcement 'soon'
Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes Chelsea will end the season by taking a point against Newcastle despite having only picked up four points since Lampard was appointed as caretaker manager. Merson told SportsKeeda: "It's been a dismal season for Chelsea and I didn't expect them to beat Manchester United, so the game against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge is the perfect chance for them to sign off on a high.
"That said, it will depend a lot on what Newcastle do, with Eddie Howe's side currently on a high after sealing their return to the UEFA Champions League with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City. After a lorry load of games across all competitions, we still don't know Chelsea's best starting XI and we're at the final game of the season.
"That just sums them up, really. They have too many players and with Mauricio Pochettino set to take over the reins from Frank Lampard, he's got a massive job on his hands to trim the squad.
"He won't want to work with 30-odd players, so I think there could be a bit of a fire sale at Stamford Bridge this summer. Two players who shouldn't be allowed to leave are Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante.
"Chelsea face an uphill battle to finish in the top four next season, so they can't afford to sell Mount to the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, as they'd be strengthening one of their rivals. He's come to a bit of a standstill this season but he was Chelsea's Player of the Year in 2021 and has a wealth of experience for a 24-year-old.
"As for Kante, it's a bit of a hard one because he's on the wrong side of 30 and in recent seasons, injuries haven't been kind to him."
Paul Merson's Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Newcastle United
Chris Sutton disagreed with Merson's prediction and believes the Magpies will cruise to a comfortable victory against a struggling Chelsea side. Sutton told BBC Sport: "Newcastle could well be in party mode now they are sure of Champions League football so this prediction partly depends on how motivated they are as their job is done.
"Even so, you still have to consider how bad Chelsea are. They have been woeful for the entire campaign and the bottom four teams are the only ones to have won fewer home games than them this season.
"There won't be much for Blues fans to smile about at Stamford Bridge on Sunday either."
Chris Sutton's Prediction: Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle United
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