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A half-century of Premier League London wins for Newcastle, a first win at Stamford Bridge since 2012, Anthony Gordon their match-winner against the club he was close to joining in 2022. He ran Chelsea ragged. In the stands, Todd Boehly, the co-owner who, when acting as de facto sporting director in the early days of ownership, targeted Gordon.
Four years on, there may be regret that deal never happened, though there are deeper doubts to consider, including the current team’s stall under Liam Rosenior. Newcastle supplied the know-how and organisation, Sven Botman outstanding in leading the defensive effort as Chelsea and their supporters’ belief in them sagged collectively. Full time was followed by fierce barracking of players and manager. A blame game is being played at Stamford Bridge. How much has been spent now? The answer is closing on £1.5bn in the Boehly years and Chelsea are falling short of their objectives.
Kick-off was preceded by the hallucinatory vision of the referee, Paul Tierney, caught in a Chelsea huddle, with Cole Palmer cuddling up to the official from Greater Manchester. Neither team found much fluency in the opening stages and set pieces provided the first opportunity, Wesley Fofana nodding over Reece James’s cross.
Both managers’ selections were conditioned by the Champions League. Eddie Howe made six changes, Sandro Tonali’s absence enforced by illness. The absence of Filip Jörgensen from Chelsea’s squad after an ill-starred selection in Paris raised eyebrows, a groin problem the official reason given. Pedro Neto sat out another Premier League game on the naughty step for his Arsenal red card as he awaits Uefa’s decision on manhandling a ball boy in the game at Paris Saint-Germain. With a 5-2 disadvantage a tall order to make up on PSG, Rosenior appeared to be prioritising the battle to return to next season’s Champions League over midweek but to no avail. This was a damaging, chastening – and fully deserved – defeat.
When Malo Gusto threaded Cole Palmer into a shooting position, the Shed End rose in expectation, only for Palmer’s uncharacteristic lack of composure to reseat the home fans. Similar happened when Enzo Fernández took aim at Aaron Ramsdale, only to blast into an unwitting Palmer. Within moments, the away section of the stand was in raptures as Gordon tapped into an empty net. Joe Willock had sprung the offside trap from a Tino Livramento pass straight through the gate. Another lapse of concentration in Chelsea’s season full of them. To place in Rosenior’s terms, Trevoh Chalobah had missed his assignment.
Bookings for Fofana and Moises Caicédo and a horribly miscued pass from the latter furthered the strand of Chelsea raggedness. Newcastle were full of zip, zest and danger, Willock forcing a near-post save from the recalled Robert Sánchez. The travelling Toon Army, hoping to avoid a 95th Premier League defeat in London, roared on Jacob Murphy’s tackle on Marc Cucurella before warm applause for Ramsdale’s save from Palmer. Chelsea remained tepid for the first half, João Pedro starved of service.
In his cushioned airline seat, Rosenior was making copious notes, while home fans had thoughts of their own to share, boos ringing out as half-time arrived. Liam Delap’s introduction for Gusto almost paid instant dividends but Ramsdale saved well from a striker still searching for his second league goal of the season. Newcastle meanwhile continued to threaten in transitions, Gordon in perpetual motion, discomfiting Chelsea defenders pulled from their positional comfort zones.
João Pedro’s first sight of goal came on the hour, a half-chance he miscued. Caicédo was replaced by Roméo Lavia, smashing a fist in frustration into his seat as he sat down. Palmer’s attempt to buy a penalty from Nick Woltemade’s waft of a boot in his vague direction was a study in desperation.
Gordon’s shot forced a decent Sánchez save as Newcastle, Joelinton’s muscle having replaced Woltemade, sensed a second goal was available. Though with Chelsea’s attack so stilted, Palmer forced deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked on, another goal was not even necessary. With 15 minutes left, a yet better chance fell to Delap. To jeers, it was shanked wide. James’s added-time free-kick spun off a post but Newcastle held on. Their Stamford Bridge drought is over.
