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An away trip to Newcastle United is always a tricky task for Chelsea. Their record in this fixture has not been good enough and their struggles against the bottom half teams this season made the task more difficult.
This was an important game for both teams. Chelsea looked to continue their recent good form and cement their place in the top four. On the other hand, Newcastle United is struggling with injuries and poor form as they look to avoid falling into the relegation zone.
The Magpies adopted a very defensive approach to frustrate Chelsea. They allowed Chelsea to have the ball and crowd them out in the midfield. This approach worked as Chelsea struggled to create any major chances in the first half. The hosts had the best chance of the first 45 minutes when Brazilian striker Joelinton hit the cross-bar.
The second half saw Chelsea continue their dominance of possession but struggled to break down Newcastle's defense. The Blues did create better chances in the second half, however, they were not able to apply the finish. The game was heading for a draw until Isaac Hayden scored the winning goal for the Magpies in stoppage time.
Frank Lampard will be disappointed with the result as the Blues conceded yet another late goal. This was a good opportunity for the Blues to gain thee points with tough games in the coming weeks. On the other hand, Steve Bruce will be immensely happy with the effort of his team. His injury-ravaged team played according to the plan and were rightly rewarded for their efforts.
While several players impressed, many others failed to live up to the expectations. Here are five hits and flops from the game
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#5 Hit: Federico Fernández
Federico Fernández put in a dominant display at the heart of Newcastle United defense. His leadership qualities and intelligence came to the fore as Newcastle frustrated Chelsea's forwards. He always covered the right areas and kept Abraham out of the game. The former Swansea defender made multiple vital clearances and won all possible duels in the air.
The Argentine made his presence felt in the forward areas as well. He played a wonderful pass into the Blues box from which Joelinton hit the cross-bar. He carried the ball out of the defense calmly. Steve Bruce will be hoping for more such performances from the defender as his side looks to build on this performance in the coming weeks.
#4 Flop: Mason Mount
Frank Lampard started Mason Mount in the midfield three to give forward impetus to Chelsea's attack from the midfield. Mount has often been criticized this season for getting phased out of the games very easily. In the first half, it was clear why he faces that criticism. He struggled to get involved in the game as Newcastle did not give him any space. He was guilty of giving the ball away multiple times due to bad decision-making.
The youngster's involvement increased in the second half, however, he continued to struggle to make an impact on the game. His deliveries from the corners were also poor as Chelsea failed to create an opportunity from set-pieces as well. He was replaced by Ross Barkley as Chelsea continued to push forward.
The midfielder is still young and he has to find a way of being involved in these types of games. He is one of the more creative players in the team which makes it very important for him to learn from these types of performances quickly and improve.
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#3 Hit: Isaac Hayden
Isaac Hayden is not known for his goal-scoring ability, however, he was Newcastle's hero in this game. The defensive midfielder scored the winning goal in injury-time of the game. It was his first Premier League goal of the season and he could not have picked a better day to score it. However, his performance before the goal was just as good.
Steve Bruce set up his side to frustrate Chelsea and block the passing lanes. The Newcastle United midfielders were excellent at pressing the opposition and not giving them space to run into.
The English midfielder was exceptional for Newcastle throughout the game. He was intense and quick to close down Chelsea players. He was responsible for keeping Mason Mount quiet. There were moments when he was left frustrated by the referee's decisions but he kept his composure and continued to play according to the plan.
His goal was a just reward for his efforts throughout the match. Hayden stayed in Chelsea's box and rose above Antonio Rüdiger to head-in the winning goal from close range. These points are huge for Newcastle and their fans can thank Hayden for it.
#2 Flop: Willian
Willian started on the left-wing for Chelsea but failed to repeat his performance from last month against Tottenham. He saw a lot of the ball but was not able to do anything meaningful. The Newcastle defense did not give him space or time to work with. They were quick to close him down when he received the ball.
The Brazilian kept trying till the end, however, his efforts were unsuccessful. His shots on goal did not trouble Martin Dúbravka and he was unable to link with fellow Chelsea forwards. In the second half, he switched positions with Callum Hudson-Odoi by moving to the right-wing.
The winger was able to get into better positions on the right but was unable to make the final pass. His performance was summed up by an attempt on goal in the second half. He came close to scoring after a Chelsea counter-attack but he dragged his shot just wide of the goal. Willian is one of the most experienced players in this young Chelsea side and will need to do better going forward.
Frank Lampard will hope that he is able to put this performance behind him as they host Arsenal in mid-week. The winger's experience will be very important in the coming months as the Blues look to meet their goals for this season.
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#1 Hit: Reece James
Reece James ended up on the losing side, however, there was no doubt that he was the best player on the pitch before getting substituted due to injury. The right-back signed a new contract this week after impressing this season. He continued his impressive form in this game as he produced another impressive performance. He faced the challenge of playing against Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almirón, and he handled both those players expertly. Chelsea dominated the first-half but they came close to falling behind when Newcastle hit the cross-bar. James was the first one to react and cleared the danger calmly before any Newcastle player could put the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The youngster displayed his excellent attacking prowess again in this game. He looked dangerous throughout the game as Chelsea looked to create chances from the right. His deliveries into the box were excellent and he showed his vision when he played Kante through on goal. He dominated both ends of the pitch and looked most likely to create something for the Blues.
James was substituted after suffering an injury in the second half of the game. He has become an important part of the team already and Chelsea fans will hope that the injury is not too serious as some tough fixtures await them.
