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Everything seemed to be going according to plan for Steve McClaren’s side as they led 2-0 against Chelsea. Ayoze Perez had given them the lead in the 42nd minute before Georginio Wijnaldum doubled their lead soon after.
Chelsea were staring at their 4th defeat of the season before the introduction of midfielders Ramires and Willian changed the context of the game. Ramires managed to pull one back for the Blues with a belter of a shot in the 79th minute before Willian equalized five minutes later with a free-kick leading to the Blues snatching a point from the jaws of defeat.
More: Highlights and 5 Talking Points – Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea
Newcastle
Tim Krul – 5.5/10
The Dutch keeper had a largely untroubled first half before having to step his game up later on in the game with a string of decent saves as Chelsea launched a barrage of attacks to try and get back into the game.
Darryl Janmaat – 6/10
A great performance from the Dutch left-back especially while pushing forward. He combined well with Sissokho on the left to create problems for Chelsea. He had a much better game on the defensive side as well, chipping in with strong challenges to break up attacks from Hazard and Fabregas. However, he fell away during the second half and was largely absent at the back which contributed to Chelsea’s miraculous turnaround.
Chancel Mbemba – 6/10
A good performance from the Newcastle centre-back. Strong at the back, the Newcastle man stood tall in his battle with Loic Remy and Falcao coming out for the better for the majority of their exchanges.
Fabricio Coloccini – 7/10
A massive improvement from his performance against Watford last weekend, the Newcastle captain was the leader his side needed. Ever-present at the back, the Argentinean centre-back marshalled his defence well and managed to sniff out the majority of Chelsea’s advances with relative ease.
Kevin Mbabu – 6.5/10
Only 20, the Swiss right-back did commit a few schoolboy errors that one would expect of someone his age – he was caught over-committing while pushing ahead occasionally and shirking his defensive duties from time to time. However, while his defensive game wasn’t exactly noteworthy, his efforts while pushing ahead certainly were.
His surging runs and relentless pursuit of the ball while going ahead led to Ivanovic having one of his more uncomfortable evenings in a Chelsea shirt. He vastly improved on his defensive duties in the second half and left little for Pedro to use on the right flank.
Moussa Sissoko – 6/10
While we weren’t able to witness his characteristic surging runs while pushing ahead in the game, he still managed to put in a good shift for the Magpies. Tracking back to help Janmaat when he could, Sissoko still managed to trouble Azpilicueta while pushing ahead from time to time – characterized by his assist for Ayoze Perez’s goal in the first half.
Jack Colback – 5/10
An uncharacteristically poor performance from the Sunderland man saw him give away a cheap foul early in the first half that nearly resulted in a Chelsea goal. Clumsy on the ball, Colback, unfortunately, picked up an injury in the first half and was hauled off with Gabriel Obertan coming on.
Vurnon Anita – 6.5/10
The unsung hero for Newcastle in the heart of their midfield, Anita was Newcastle’s answer to Nemanja Matic. Breaking up plays tidily in the middle of the pitch and deftly starting plays from the back, Anita was at the heart of every Newcastle attack and more than compensated for Colback’s lack of involvement at the heart of the pitch. His methodical approach to controlling Chelsea in the middle of the pitch was vital in Newcastle’s dominance over the Blues in the first half.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 6/10
While the Dutchman didn’t contribute much from open play and was surprisingly sedated while going ahead, he did put in his shift defensively, helping his back four when he could. It was also his goal that managed to give Newcastle that vital two-goal cushion that allowed them the freedom to play more openly.
Ayoze Perez – 6.5/10
Another good performance from the Newcastle forward which saw him score the first goal of the game with a brilliant finish before assisting Wijnaldum for the second from a corner. Always a threat while going forward, Perez often tracked back too to make sure the Magpies didn’t surrender the lead that they had tried so hard to create.
Aleksander Mitrovic – 6/10
While he may have gotten more of the ball that in other games, Mitrovic still didn’t receive as much of it as he would have liked. However, he still managed to constantly win fouls for the Magpies in good positions and track back routinely to help out at the back.
Substitutes
Gabriel Obertan – 5/10
The Frenchman was brought on for the underperforming Jack Colback and was expected to inject some much-needed pace into the Newcastle side. However, sadly for the Magpies, he failed to create much with his time on the ball.
Siem De Jong – N/A
Ivan Toney – N/A
Chelsea
Asmir Begovic – 5/10
Barring two brilliant saves in the first half, the Bosnian keeper did nothing but pick the ball out of the net twice for the Blues in a surprisingly quiet outing.
Branislav Ivanovic – 5/10
While the Serb may have marginally improved his efforts while pushing ahead, his defensive capabilities are still a major talking point for Jose Mourinho with him being caught out of position most of the time and being given the run around by Newcastle’s young Premier League debutant Mbabu.
Gary Cahill – 5.5/10
While the English centre-back didn’t do much wrong, he showed no signs of being the leading figure at the back of Chelsea’s backline that he was expected to be. He is yet to find that dominating, authoritative form that he saw last season when he was paired with John Terry at the heart of Chelsea’s defence.
Kurt Zouma – 4.5/10
A very poor performance from the young Frenchman who was guilty of conceding Newcastle’s first goal when he was caught ball watching as Ayoze Perez scored. Given Chelsea’s frailties at the back this season and the fierce competition for places, Zouma will need to step his game up if he is to remain a part of Chelsea’s back four.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 6.5/10
A characteristically solid performance from Chelsea’s Mr. Consistent which saw him break up plays on the wing with ease in the second half and was vital in Chelsea’s revival. Azpilicueta still probably remains the only member of Chelsea’s back four whose place is guaranteed.
Nemanja Matic – 6/10
A quiet evening in the first half for the Serbian which saw him characteristically break up plays in the midfield with relative ease. His lack of offensive contribution, however, was a reason for his substitution in the second half which proved to be the turning point of the game.
Cesc Fabregas – 6.5/10
Chelsea’s star performer in the first half, Fabregas was the best goalscoring threat with two thumping efforts. He continued his offensive prowess in the second half providing some cross field through balls that were reminiscent of the Fabregas of last season.
While he may be steadily improving offensively this season, his defensive capabilities are still a question mark and if he is to play in the centre of Chelsea’s midfield, he must improve his defensive game.
Pedro – 4/10
Quite possibly Chelsea’s weakest link in the game, Pedro provided nothing while going forward and scuffed whatever chances were presented to him, such as the instance where he skied a great opportunity to bring Chelsea level after a delicious Fabregas ball. His lack of defensive contribution is also a major issue which he needs to address before Chelsea’s next game.
Oscar – 5/10
The Brazilian was largely underwhelming during his time on the pitch, Oscar didn’t provide much concrete action while pushing ahead and also didn’t display his usual tenacity while tracking back in the game against Newcastle.
Eden Hazard – 6/10
Bar a brilliant, goal of the season attempt by him in the second half, Hazard is still to find the form that won him the Player of the Year last season. The signs, however, are promising with him steadily improving with the progression of the season and he showed glimpses of that creative genius from time to time in the game with some nice intricate play with Fabregas and Azpilicueta.
Loic Remy – 5.5/10
Remy worked very hard off the ball but didn’t get much in terms of supply. He did the best he could with his limited chances but failed to create anything concrete.
Substitutes
Radamel Falcao – 4.5/10
The former United man looked a shadow of his former prolific self, proving next to nothing up front for Chelsea after coming on for Remy later in the game. He is worryingly looking like a gamble gone wrong for Chelsea after a string of underwhelming performances.
Ramires – 8/10
By far the most impactful player on the pitch, Ramires was brought on to inject life into Chelsea’s play and he did exactly that with a brilliant goal before playing a major role in forcing Tim Krul into an error for Chelsea’s second. He also almost managed to win the game for The Blues with a header late on only to see it saved brilliantly. Given his performance today, more first team action for the Brazilian is more than warranted.
Willian – 7/10
Another vital component in Chelsea’s late reversal of fortunes, Willian’s ceaseless work rate off the ball combined with his pace on it helped heap the pressure on Steve McClaren’s men before he scored the vital equalizer with a free-kick in the 86th minute that flummoxed the entire Newcastle backline. Pedro’s position on Chelsea’s right wing is under serious threat after his poor outing here.
