Newcastle United, despite facing an injury crisis, emerged victorious over a disheveled Chelsea side in a thrilling 4-1 Premier League encounter at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
Coming off four points from matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City before the international break, Chelsea had the opportunity to extend their positive momentum against a Newcastle team that was forced to include three goalkeepers and a handful of U21 players on their bench.
However, Chelsea’s performance at St. James’ Park was a stark contrast to their recent results, falling behind early to Alexander Isak’s clinical finish.
Raheem Sterling responded with a stunning free-kick to equalize, but it was all downhill for Chelsea from there. Their second-half display was nothing short of shambolic.
Jamaal Lascelles restored Newcastle’s lead after an hour, and just a minute later, Joelinton capitalized on an uncharacteristic error by Thiago Silva to score Newcastle’s third.
Chelsea’s misery was compounded when Reece James was sent off after receiving two avoidable bookings, setting the stage for Anthony Gordon to seal Newcastle’s emphatic victory with a fourth goal.
This victory propels Newcastle to within three points of the top four in the Premier League standings.
