Newcastle United 4-1 Chelsea: Player ratings as Magpies fly high against lowly Blues

Newcastle United put 10-man Chelsea to the sword in Saturday’s Premier League encounter, running out 4-1 victors at St James’ Park.

Despite missing a number of first-team stars, Eddie Howe’s side produced a scintillating performance on Tyneside to provide a perfect response to a disturbing 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth before the international break.

Chelsea came into proceedings in high spirits after a 4-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur and an enthralling 4-4 draw against perennial champions Manchester City. 

However, the two-week pause seems to have taken the wind out of their sails, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side showing numerous signs of vulnerability on both ends of the pitch. 

Following a relatively quiet first ten minutes, the Magpies drew first blood through Alexander Isak. 

Back from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Swedish forward avoided Chelsea’s offside trap and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after receiving a killer pass from teenage sensation Lewis Miley.

It took Pochettino’s team just over ten minutes to reply. Kieran Trippier made a reckless foul in the dangerous area, allowing Raheem Sterling to prove his set-piece prowess. 

Nick Pope stood petrified on the line as the ex-Man City winger banged in a delightful free-kick to level the score midway through the first half, offering Chelsea fans hope regarding the club’s mini-revival. 

Little did they know Newcastle would crush their dreams in a manner that will leave the Argentine manager scratching his head until Brighton & Hove Albion’s visit to Stamford Bridge next week.

Since the 1-1 scoreline stayed intact until the hour mark, no one could’ve foreseen a catastrophe waiting around the corner. 

Anthony Gordon whipped in an inviting cross into the penalty area, with Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles heading home from point-blank after finding himself completely unmarked inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea had no time to recover, as second after kicking the ball at the halfway line, the Magpies struck again through Joelinton to send the visitors into disarray.

Veteran defender Thiago Silva made an uncharacteristic error, messing up the back pass to Robert Sanchez. Joelinton embraced the gift with open arms, putting clear daylight between the sides with a routine finish. 

Things soon went from bad to worse for Chelsea. Reece James, who had a terrible game, lost his temper in the 73rd minute. Frustrated with losing possession cheaply, he tackled Isak from the back and earned his marching orders. 

Reduced to ten men, the Blues threw in the towel, and it was only a matter of Newcastle’s will to increase their lead. Ten minutes after James’ expulsion, Howe’s high-flyers added fourth to the tally. 

Gordon got rewarded for his superb showing. He timed his run behind the lines to perfection to get on the end of Miguel Almiron’s through ball and beat Sanchez to the bottom far corner with an inch-perfect shot.

Newcastle United vs Chelsea player ratings

Newcastle United

Nick Pope (7/10) – Sterling’s free-kick gave him no chance, but everything else was pure perfection. Made several crucial saves between Newcastle’s first two goals.

Kieran Trippier (8/10) – Despite failing to register a goal and assist, the experienced right-back had an impressive game in the attacking sense. Defensive-wise, had no problems against Sterling.

Jamaal Lascelles (8/10) – Led by example. Held up his end of the bargain at the back and picked up the goal as a fitting reward.

Fabian Schar (7/10) – Kept Nicolas Jackson at bay almost effortlessly and looked comfortable with the ball at his feet when asked to participate in the build-up play.

Tino Livramento (7/10) – Moved to left-back after playing as a right-winger, the ex-Southampton utility man demonstrated outstanding defensive skills to neutralise Cole Palmer.

Joelinton (8/10) – An outrageous performance from the towering midfielder. He was everywhere today, covering spaces at the back and applying high press upfront. 

Bruno Guimaraes (7/10) – Not as effective as his countryman, but still worked his socks off to help Newcastle gain a foothold in the middle of the park.

Lewis Miley (7/10) – Picked out Isak for the opening goal with a perfect defence-splitting pass. Despite his young age, performed like a seasonal campaigner.

Miguel Almiron (7/10) – Registered an assist late on to put the icing on the cake following another electrifying display. 

Anthony Gordon (9/10) *MOTM* – His individual brilliance was the difference between the sides today. Two goal contributions sum up a match-winning performance. 

Alexander Isak (8/10) – Unfazed by his recent injury problems, the talismanic striker tormented Chelsea’s porous backline all game. Broke the deadlock with a lethal finish.

Substitutes

Matt Ritchie – (6/10)

Alex Murphy – (NA/10)

Paul Dummett – (NA/10)

Michael Ndiweni – (NA/10)

Amadou Diallo – (NA/10)

Chelsea 

Robert Sanchez (4/10) – Had some decent saves, but it’s hardly enough to repair the overall image after conceding four times.

Marc Cucurella (4/10) – Maybe it’s time for Pochettino to move the Spaniard back to the bench. Uneventful when in possession and erratic when defending. 

Thiago Silva (3/10) – Perhaps his worst game in the Chelsea shirt. A poor giveaway leading to Joelinton’s goal was the best illustration of his woeful performance. 

Benoit Badiashile (3/10) – Left Isak onside and lost track of Lascelles for Newcastle’s third. It hardly gets worse than this.

Reece James (2/10) – Looked nervous from the get-go as Gordon made him look like a second-tier defender. Had some wayward crosses before being sent off for a mindless challenge.

Chimuanya Ugochukwu (4/10) – One of the reasons Chelsea couldn’t keep up with Newcaslte’s pace. 

Enzo Fernandez (5/10) – Forced Pope’s diving save in the first half. Nowhere to be seen otherwise.

Conor Gallagher (4/10) – Too many loose touches and a lack of guile demoted him to an irrelevant factor today.

Raheem Sterling (7/10) – His free-kick was a piece of art, yet it was his only contribution as Trippier kept him quiet.

Cole Palmer (3/10) – After several impressive showings, turned on a ‘stealth mode’ on Tyneside.

Nicolas Jackson (2/10) – Barely had any meaningful touch with the ball despite being on the pitch for almost 70 minutes. 

Substitutes

Moises Caicedo – (5/10) 

Armando Broja – (3/10)

Mykhailo Mudryk – (3/10)

Levi Colwill – (4/10)

Noni Madueke – (NA/10)

Newcastle United put 10-man Chelsea to the sword in Saturday’s Premier League derby, running out 4-1 victors at St James’ Park.

Despite missing a number of first-team stars, Eddie Howe’s side put in a scintillating performance on Tyneside to provide a perfect response to a disturbing 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth before the international break.

On the other hand, Chelsea came into proceedings in high spirits after a 4-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur and an enthralling 4-4 draw against perennial champions Manchester City. 

However, the two-week pause seems to have taken the wind out of their sails, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side showing numerous signs of vulnerability on both ends of the pitch. 

Following a relatively quiet first ten minutes, the Magpies drew first blood through Alexander Isak. 

Back from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the Swedish forward avoided Chelsea’s offside trap and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after receiving a killer pass from teenage sensation Lewis Miley.

It took Pochettino’s team just over ten minutes to reply. Kieran Trippier made a reckless foul in the dangerous area, allowing Raheem Sterling to prove his set-piece prowess. 

Nick Pope stood petrified on the line as the ex-Man City winger banged in a delightful free-kick to level the score midway through the first half, offering Chelsea fans hope regarding the club’s mini-revival. 

Little did they know Newcastle would crush their dreams in a manner that will leave the Argentine manager scratching his head until Brighton & Hove Albion’s visit to Stamford Bridge next week.

Since the 1-1 scoreline stayed intact until the hour mark, no one could’ve foreseen a catastrophe waiting around the corner. 

Anthony Gordon whipped in an inviting cross into the penalty area, with Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles heading home from point-blank after finding himself completely unmarked inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea had no time to recover, as second after kicking the ball at the halfway line, the Magpies struck again through Joelinton to send the visitors into disarray.

Veteran defender Thiago Silva made an uncharacteristic error, messing up the back pass to Robert Sanchez. Joelinton embraced the gift with open arms, putting clear daylight between the sides with a routine finish. 

Things soon went from bad to worse for Chelsea. Reece James, who had a terrible game, lost his temper in the 73rd minute. Frustrated with losing possession cheaply, he tackled Isak from the back and earned his marching orders. 

Reduced to ten men, the Blues threw in the towel, and it was only a matter of Newcastle’s will to increase their lead. Ten minutes after James’ expulsion, Howe’s high-flyers added fourth to the tally. 

Gordon got rewarded for his superb showing. He timed his run behind the lines to perfection to get on the end of Miguel Almiron’s through ball and beat Sanchez to the bottom far corner with an inch-perfect shot.

Newcastle United vs Chelsea player ratings

Newcastle United

Nick Pope (7/10) – Sterling’s free-kick gave him no chance, but everything else was pure perfection. Made several crucial saves between Newcastle’s first two goals.

Kieran Trippier (8/10) – Despite failing to register a goal and assist, the experienced right-back had an impressive game in the attacking sense. Defensive-wise, had no problems against Sterling.

Jamaal Lascelles (8/10) – Led by example. Held up his end of the bargain at the back and picked up the goal as a fitting reward.

Fabian Schar (7/10) – Kept Nicolas Jackson at bay almost effortlessly and looked comfortable with the ball at his feet when asked to participate in the build-up play.

Tino Livramento (7/10) – Moved to left-back after playing as a right-winger, the ex-Southampton utility man demonstrated outstanding defensive skills to neutralise Cole Palmer.

Joelinton (8/10) – An outrageous performance from the towering midfielder. He was everywhere today, covering spaces at the back and applying high press upfront. 

Bruno Guimaraes (7/10) – Not as effective as his countryman, but still worked his socks off to help Newcastle gain a foothold in the middle of the park.

Lewis Miley (7/10) – Picked out Isak for the opening goal with a perfect defence-splitting pass. Despite his young age, performed like a seasonal campaigner.

Miguel Almiron (7/10) – Registered an assist late on to put the icing on the cake following another electrifying display. 

Anthony Gordon (9/10) *MOTM* – His individual brilliance was the difference between the sides today. Two goal contributions sum up a match-winning performance. 

Alexander Isak (8/10) – Unfazed by his recent injury problems, the talismanic striker tormented Chelsea’s porous backline all game. Broke the deadlock with a lethal finish.

Substitutes

Matt Ritchie – (6/10)

Alex Murphy – (NA/10)

Paul Dummett – (NA/10)

Michael Ndiweni – (NA/10)

Amadou Diallo – (NA/10)

Chelsea 

Robert Sanchez (4/10) – Had some decent saves, but it’s hardly enough to repair the overall image after conceding four times.

Marc Cucurella (4/10) – Maybe it’s time for Pochettino to move the Spaniard back to the bench. Uneventful when in possession and erratic when defending. 

Thiago Silva (3/10) – Perhaps his worst game in the Chelsea shirt. A poor giveaway leading to Joelinton’s goal was the best illustration of his woeful performance. 

Benoit Badiashile (3/10) – Left Isak onside and lost track of Lascelles for Newcastle’s third. It hardly gets worse than this.

Reece James (2/10) – Looked nervous from the get-go as Gordon made him look like a second-tier defender. Had some wayward crosses before being sent off for a mindless challenge.

Chimuanya Ugochukwu (4/10) – One of the reasons Chelsea couldn’t keep up with Newcaslte’s pace. 

Enzo Fernandez (5/10) – Forced Pope’s diving save in the first half. Nowhere to be seen otherwise.

Conor Gallagher (4/10) – Too many loose touches and a lack of guile demoted him to an irrelevant factor today.

Raheem Sterling (7/10) – His free-kick was a piece of art, yet it was his only contribution as Trippier kept him quiet.

Cole Palmer (3/10) – After several impressive showings, turned on a ‘stealth mode’ on Tyneside.

Nicolas Jackson (2/10) – Barely had any meaningful touch with the ball despite being on the pitch for almost 70 minutes. 

Substitutes

Moises Caicedo – (5/10) 

Armando Broja – (3/10)

Mykhailo Mudryk – (3/10)

Levi Colwill – (4/10)

Noni Madueke – (NA/10)