LONDON (AP) Chelsea prepared for its Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain by routing Newcastle 5-1 Saturday, the biggest win of a miserable Premier League season for the champions.
Chelsea climbed to 12th place but the London club remains 14 points from fourth place. Winning the Champions League is the only way back into Europe's elite competition next season and the challenge resumes in Paris in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Confidence will be high after this emphatic win over relegation-threatened Newcastle which saw Pedro Rodriguez score twice after Diego Costa's fifth-minute opener while Willian and Bertrand Traore also netted.