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#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.
