Chelsea will be looking to get back on track in the Premier League this afternoon as they host Newcastle in west London. The Blues saw their impressive early momentum under Enzo Maresca dented slightly in a hard-fought loss away at early pacesetters Liverpool last weekend, continuing their Anfield hoodoo in the process but with more clear signs of the swift progress made under new management.
Chelsea quickly brushed off that disappointment in Europe on Thursday, making wholesale changes once again as their second string produced another statement with a 4-1 Conference League rout of Panathinaikos in Greece. It will be interesting to see if any of that number have forced their way into Maresca’s thinking this afternoon for the visit of an out-of-sorts Newcastle side who sit in the bottom half of the table with no wins in their last four league games.
Captain Reece James starts again today after a rest as the hosts also welcome back Wesley Fofana from suspension and opt for Pedro Neto over Jadon Sancho, though their visitors - whom they also face in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night - are without Anthony Gordon due to injury in a surprise blow. Follow Chelsea vs Newcastle live below!
Chelsea vs Newcastle latest news
Live updates
98 mins: Another vital block from James to preserve Chelsea’s lead!
Pope is up for the last-gasp Newcastle corner...
94 mins: Sorry, it was six minutes of added time signalled - not four.
Nkunku looks to put this game to bed after dispossessing Bruno Guimaraes, but he’s booked for the challenge instead.
Maresca is furious and also gets a yellow card for his protests.
92 mins: NO PENALTY
Hooper does indeed change his mind after watching it back.
The right call.
Longstaff was booked for protesting there. Osula and Kelly have replaced Joelinton and Hall for Newcastle.
91 mins: Hang on just a moment.
The VAR has had a long look at this and referee Simon Hooper is now being sent to watch the replay on the pitchside monitor.
That did look very soft, it must be said.
Into four minutes of added time.
90 mins: PENALTY TO CHELSEA
Burn drags down Nkunku inside the box.
85 mins: Nothing doing from Isak there as Newcastle struggle to ask many questions of this Chelsea defence late on.
A reminder that they have scored more than one goal just twice in eight games so far this season.
83 mins: Booking number three today for delaying the restart, this time for Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez - who also fired straight out of play a few minutes ago.
He really does not inspire confidence.
81 mins: Mudryk has done absolutely nothing since coming on but now fires at Pope from inside the box after yet more influential work from Palmer.
Standard Sport’s Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
There’s some sort of medical emergency going on in the crowd just to our right, with first aid staff on the scene but clearly it’s not been seen fit to stop the game.
77 mins: Chelsea are in the wars a bit now with Neto coming off second best against Burn, with Gusto also down.
Gusto is going off anyway, with Cucurella coming on. That’ll be James back to the right.
Jackson is also replaced by Nkunku.
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Chelsea vs Newcastle: Jackson opens scoring, Isak levels but Palmer restores lead
Chelsea vs Newcastle: Jackson opens scoring, Isak levels but Palmer restores lead
Chelsea have taken an early lead in the game after Nicolas Jackson fired home from close range to give Enzo Maresca’s side an early advantage. The lead didn’t last long however, as Newcastle’s Alexander Isak responded with a well-taken goal to bring the Magpies level.
However, Chelsea were not behind for long as Cole Palmer, who was making his Premier League debut for the Blues, bagged a goal to put his team back in front and seal a 2-1 victory. The visitors pushed for a second equaliser, but the Blues held on for the three points.
Chelsea vs Newcastle LIVE! Premier League match stream, latest score and goal updates today
Chelsea vs Newcastle: The match was also notable for some questionable refereeing decisions. The penalty awarded to Chelsea, which was later overturned, was a soft call.
The VAR review was a major talking point, as the on-field referee missed the foul from Newcastle player Dan Burn on Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku.
With Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Newcastle, the Blues have climbed to the top of the table.
The victory was also a testament to the quality of Chelsea’s squad depth. Enzo Maresca’s side was able to overcome the absence of a number of key players, including the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, João Félix, and Enzo Fernández.
Chelsea’s next game is against Manchester United. The two sides will clash on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea vs Newcastle: What they said
After the game, Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca said, “We’re very happy with the victory. It was a tough game, but we showed our quality and our resilience. We were able to come back from a goal down and get the three points. It was a good team performance.”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said, “It was a disappointing result. We didn’t play well enough. We had some good moments, but we didn’t create enough chances. We need to be better going forward. We need to be more clinical in front of goal. We also need to be more disciplined at the back. We gave Chelsea a penalty, and it’s hard to win games when you give away penalties. It’s something we need to work on.”
Chelsea are certainly in a good position to challenge for the Premier League title. They are playing with a lot of confidence and have a lot of talent in their squad. However, they will need to maintain their consistency if they want to go all the way. Newcastle’s defeat was a blow to their hopes of challenging for a Champions League spot this season. They will need to find a way to turn around their recent form if they are to stay in contention for a top-six finish.
Chelsea vs Newcastle: Man of the Match
The man of the match was Cole Palmer, who scored the winning goal and played a key role in Chelsea’s victory. He was one of the most influential players on the pitch and put in a great performance.
Chelsea vs Newcastle: The match was a great advertisement for the Premier League. It was a fast-paced and exciting game, with plenty of goals and chances. It was also a very physical game, but there was also a lot of skill and technical ability on show. It was a very entertaining game to watch.
The next Premier League round of fixtures will be exciting and full of anticipation. With Chelsea and Newcastle both having great seasons so far, it will be fascinating to see how they perform in the upcoming weeks.
