Chelsea had a frustrating night at home to Newcastle (Image: Getty Images)
Anthony Gordon led Newcastle United to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday night. The Blues could move out of the Premier League’s top four this weekend if Liverpool can secure at least a draw against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. After Newcastle caught up with a defensively outnumbered Chelsea, Gordon slotted the ball into an empty net and the Magpies striker broke the deadlock.
Chelsea started the second half in an advantageous manner, having most of the ball. However, despite creating numerous chances, the Club World Cup champions ultimately faltered and appeared to have lost their creativity towards the end.
Express Sport assesses Chelsea’s performance and plans…
Chelsea vs Newcastle player ratings
Robert Sanchez – 6
Sanchez was powerless to prevent the opening goal. Chelsea’s defense left Willock vulnerable as he dived behind Reece James and Trevor Chalobah to score with Gordon. However, the Blues goalkeeper made several saves in the first half and ensured possession.
Gust had some promising moments early on, but ultimately fell short. The Blues defender was replaced at half-time by Liam Delap.
Fofana’s early warning made life difficult.
Charova was not in the right position to score the first goal and allowed Tino Livramento to cut through Chelsea’s defence.
Cucurella endured a shaky opening, giving up the ball with a careless pass. The Blues defender collected an unnecessary booking in stoppage time but was unable to make much of an impact on the left.
Caicedo performed admirably in the first 15 minutes, executing several strong challenges in and around the Chelsea area. The Blues midfielder was unlucky to receive a caution midway through the first half. Penalized for a challenge when stealing the ball from Nick Woltemade.
Chelsea captain Reece James disappointed after missing scoring opportunity (Image: Getty Images)
James came under intense scrutiny after he was suspected of fouling Malick Thiaw inside the penalty area towards the end of the first half, but the video assistant referee cleared the Chelsea captain of any wrongdoing. Apart from that, he spent the first 45 minutes relatively calm. He proved as reliable as ever in the second period, creating a great chance that Chalova headed wide.
Palmer had several chances to score for Chelsea, but was unable to challenge Aaron Ramsdale.
Fernandes maintained a consistent performance throughout the match, and in the second half he made a pass that cut through the defense for the first time. The Chelsea midfielder pushed Delap into the goal, but his shot was blocked.
It wasn’t until early in the second half that Garnacho came back to life. Before the interval, the Chelsea winger had a few shots and sent in a few crosses, but was unable to break through the Newcastle defence.
João Pedro got off to a good start, showing excellent ball control and getting his teammates involved in the play. However, it didn’t mean much as the Chelsea forward was given little chance to test Aaron Ramsdale. He picked up where he left off after the break, showing some clean touches and turns, but had little success inside the penalty area.
substitute
Liam Delap – 6
Delap did not hesitate to assert his physical presence early in the second half, injecting much-needed vitality into Rosenior’s team. Chelsea’s forwards were wary of the Magpies’ defence, but their first significant chance did not come until the 75th minute, with their shot going over the bar.
Lavia handled the ball calmly and kept the game flowing, but could not ignite the pitch.
Newcastle were content to absorb the pressure and maintain a deep defensive line, and the Pigeons were not very involved. However, he certainly showed the ability to recover quickly. Chelsea’s defenders cover the ground with ease.
