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Chelsea secured their 5th consecutive win in all competitions with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United. After their 4-1 triumph over Southampton before the international break, the Blues were full of confidence going into the game. Frank Lampard's men have been free-flowing in attack this season and have scored 19 goals in the Premier League- which is the 3rd best in the league so far. They came up against Steve Bruce's well-drilled defensive side, who were on a roll themselves following their 1-0 victory over Manchester United before the international break.
As expected, Chelsea kept most of the possession throughout the match and created the better opportunities to score. However, Newcastle United's stubborn defence was able to stop everything the Chelsea frontline threw at them. It took the Blues almost three-quarters of the game to break the deadlock, all thanks to Marcos Alonso's superb strike from the edge of the box.
While some players hugely impressed with their performances, others failed to live up to expectations. Here are the hits and flops from the game:
#5 Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso is superb going forward but his sometimes-poor positioning leaves Chelsea vulnerable at the back, which is why Lampard has been picking Emerson over the Spaniard. However, an injury to the first-choice full-back gave Alonso the chance to prove his worth and regain his position in the first team, which he took with open arms.
The 28-year-old produced a solid defensive performance against Newcastle United and kept Miguel Almiron quiet throughout the game. Moreover, the Spaniard helped to overload the left-flank in the attack, causing the Magpies loads of problems. Alonso scored the match-winner for Chelsea with a superb strike from the edge of the box, which was so powerful that even Martin Dubravka's strong hands couldn't keep it out.
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#4 Flop: Mason Mount
Mason Mount has been brilliant this season and has repaid the faith of his manager by producing solid performances game after game. However, the 20-year-old failed to influence the game against Newcastle the way he would have liked. The Newcastle defenders did a great job on him and were all over him as soon as he received the ball.
The Englishman could manage just one shot at the opposition goal, which was well saved by Dubravka. Apart from that, he struggled to create anything and make any sort of impact.
#3 Hit: Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi has been brilliant ever since he came back into the side after recovering from a long-term injury, and was the catalyst in Chelsea's victory over Newcastle United. The 18-year-old caused the opposition defenders all sorts of problems with his pace and trickery.
He was lively throughout the 90 minutes and put in some brilliant crosses into the box. Hudson-Odoi grabbed an assist for Alonso's goal- which was his 3rd in two games. The highly-rated youngster is in superb form at the moment and could take the Premier League by storm this season.
#2 Flop: Matthew Longstaff
Matthew Longstaff was Newcastle United's hero against Manchester United after scoring on his debut a fortnight ago. However, the 19-year-old failed to continue his form and was poor throughout the 90 minutes against Chelsea. The Englishman played alongside his elder brother Sean Longstaff in the middle of the park but failed to pull the strings as he did against the Red Devils. The midfielder was dispossessed three times during the game- more than any other player on the pitch. Moreover, the 19-year-old didn't have a shot on the opposition goal.
#1 Hit: Jorginho
Jorginho was by far Chelsea's best player on the pitch. The midfielder was pulling the strings from midfield, spraying passes across the field from the middle of the park.
The Italian picked some great passes for the forward runners and created some great opportunities. Moreover, the 27-year-old was solid defensively and won five tackles throughout the 90 minutes and recovered possession 11 times- more than any other player on the pitch. Jorginho has been brilliant for Chelsea this season and is finally getting much-deserved praise from the supporters.
