Newcastle secured a memorable victory over Roberto Di Matteo's men in May thanks to two sensational strikes from Papiss Cisse.

Chelsea have since bolstered their ranks with the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar, but Pardew insists his team are more than capable of matching the Blues.

"Chelsea are the European champions," Pardew told reporters. "They won the Champions League and they have improved since then - Hazard looks a great buy. We know him well, so we know what to expect from him.

"There are no surprises in that team, but I think in some ways, we can match them and give a good showing there.

"Certainly with this team, I think we are a little bit stronger than last year."

Pardew said he ranks the victory at Stamford Bridge last season as one of his greatest of his career.

"I had never won at Chelsea in any capacity. I have been there many times and it's a very difficult place to win, so that would go down as one of the great victories," the 51-year-old said.