It's a high noon showdown at St James' Park as Newcastle United go head to head with top-five rivals Chelsea. It's not quite winner takes all today, but whoever emerges with three points will take a giant step towards Champions League qualification.
United have a decent home record against the Blues in recent seasons, and have already beaten Enzo Maresca's men on home soil once this term, running out 2-0 victors in the Carabao Cup. Eddie Howe is without Joelinton and Lewis Hall again and was cagey over any other potential injuries.
Chelsea head north after booking their place in the Europa Conference League final and finding their Premier League form at the right time. We'll have all the build up, team news, match analysis, ratings and reaction as it happens, right here.
The match verdict
Newcastle United DJ taunts Chelsea with final whistle surprise as visiting fans get bitter
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Full-time: Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea
It wasn't pretty, it was a bit nervy and it wasn't set in stone until the 90th minute. But Newcastle United have done it.
Sandro in the second minute, Bruno in the 90th. 2-0 and Champions League football beckons for the Magpies once again.
What were we worried about?
Free-kick floated in, Burn receives it deep, little lay-off to Bruno and his long-range effort takes a huge deflection off James and loops over Sanchez.
2-0. Job done. Game over.
GET. IN.
James heads over
There's a nervy energy inside St James' Park and hearts were in mouths as James headed over there. Great cross from the right but the header was too high to trouble Pope.
Into the 89th-minute...
Pope saves again
Enzo blasts one towards goal and it's a fingertip save by Pope. Chelsea are pushing.
Lovely move breaks down
Superb interplay between Tino, Bruno, Tonali and others before Barnes is fed through on goal. He takes a shocker of a touch when through on goal and the chance goes begging.
Into the 78th minute. This is tight. Chelsea by no means out of it. Newcastle need a second.
Maresca has rolled the dice again. Sancho on a left-wing, Gusto at right-back. Cucurella now a centre-back, James a midfielder. He has tinkered multiple times throughout this tie to try and bamboozle Howe and Tindall.
Bruno blazes over
Lovely dinked ball over the top by Murphy and Bruno races onto it. He gets a bit excited and lashes one into the Gallowgate.
Newcastle's best chance of a goal in this second half.
Newcastle change
Gordon OFF. Krafth ON.
Barnes out to the left, Murphy to right-wing and Krafth at right-back.
HUGE save
Wow. Pope denies Cucurella and saves Newcastle.
Ball falls to the Spaniard at the back stick, one touch, bang. Pope down to his left to parry, well, away.
Big moment. Chelsea want an equaliser here.
Crowd getting a bit tense
Chelsea in control of this tie now. Misplaced passes by Newcastle being bemoaned by the supporters.
A little sense of nerves creeping in.
Isak volleys over
Tonali's arrow of a corner fizzed straight to the back stick with Isak unmarked. He goes for the spectacular, first time, but sends one into the Gallowgate.
Chelsea on top
Chelsea, despite being a man down, are seeing plenty of the ball here. Newcastle trying to press them into giving it away but are playing a bit of a dangerous game by not controlling the tie.
Early change made by Howe. Botman off, Miley on. #NUFC revert to four at the back and three in midfield.
Opening impressions at the start of the second half
All you'd say is this lead is a slender one. With 10 men Chelsea are still a threat and still in the game.
Newcastle need the insurance goal.
Palmer wriggles free
And stings the gloves of Pope with a fizzed effort from distance.
Newcastle go up the other end but James shoulder barges Gordon to the floor. No penalty given despite appeals.
Tino down
Early concern for Tino as he rides a hefty challenge in the opening minute of the second period.
Under way in the second-half
Palmer up top on his own for Chelsea. Four man midfield of Neto, Lavia, Enzo and Caicedo.
Newcastle stay the same.
One change for Chelsea at the break
James ON. Madueke OFF.
Going to be a bit of a formation change here from Chelsea, with Caicedo moving into midfield.
Half-time player ratings
Nick Pope 7
A cool customer between the posts.
Jacob Murphy 8
Working hard and make each yard count. Another assist in the bag after a couple of iffy matches.
Fabian Schar 7
Battling hard.
Sven Botman 8
An assured presence. Sent flying after Jackson elbow.
Dan Burn 7
Happy to do the untidy stuff.
Tino Livramento 7
Some good overlapping.
Bruno Guimaraes 7
Has been sturdy but has room for improvement.
Sandro Tonali 8
An elite performer. What a cool finish.
Harvey Barnes 7
Has been a threat but rushing things in the final third.
Anthony Gordon 7
Sparked the attack that led to the goal.
Alexander Isak 6
Unconvincing so far but never write him off.
Half-time at St James' Park
So far, so good. United one goal up and one man up.
As it stands, they're moving three clear of Chelsea in the battle for the top five.
Into added time
Six minutes additional time at the end of a hectic opening period.
Isak has almost just bundled the ball beyond Sanchez as Newcastle go in search of a second.
This is right where Newcastle want the game to be
This game is right where Newcastle United want it now. Chelsea were just starting to catch their breaths a little before that moment of madness from Nicolas Jackson, who cut a frustrated figure after getting little change from Sven Botman and Newcastle's defenders. Now the Blues have to play another half in the heat with just 10 men.
Maresca booked
The Chelsea boss picks up a yellow card after multiple complaints from the touchline.
This game has spiced up a tad since the sending off, with tackles flying in. Toon fans not happy with the firmness of some of the Chelsea challenges.
Chelsea up against it now
The Blues have almost an hour to play out with 10 men. It was a definite red, not sure what Jackson was complaining about.
Newcastle have the slope in the second half as well.
