Newcastle United 1-0 Chelsea, Premier League: Post-match reaction, ratings

Strong atmosphere greeted the players, but it was a very scrappy game from the start. A couple injury interruptions in the first ten minutes ensured that neither team got into any sort of flow at all. Neither goalkeeper saw much, if any action in the first 45, with the game descending into broken play in midfield for much of the time.

Chelsea changed things at the half, and the game opened up a bit more as a result. But just when it looked like we might score, with Christian Pulisic threatening and Conor Gallagher drawing an excellent save, Joe Willock walloped the home side into the lead with a powerful strike, turning a bad touch from Almirón into an assist.

Chelsea tried to muster a response, but there wasn’t much happening until maybe the last couple minutes of added-on time. But it was much too little, much too late. Where was that fight, that emotion earlier? The game was set up to be won by a mistake or a lucky bounce, and that’s precisely what happened.

Carefree.

• Four changes from midweek, with Azpi in for Cucurella, Jorginho in for Zakaria, and Mount & Gallagher replacing Ziyech & Pulisic. Also a change to a back-three that played much more like a back-five, with the wingbacks, very conservative
• RLC the latest to join the list of injured, seemingly pulling his calf just a few minutes in. Silva called upon, with Azpi moving wide.
• Pulisic on at the half, Gallagher (!?) going to right wing-back, but then shifting to a more 4-3-3 look, with Chalobah pulling wide to right back and Gallagher joining the midfield.
• Chelsea down to eighth after Liverpool’s win earlier today.
• Three straight defeats in the league, five winless, 2 points from 15.

• Next up: WORLD CUP break. Can we restart the season?
• KTBFFH

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