TF Match Report - Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle Utd

Sunday 27 October 2024, Stamford Bridge

It was one of those days when it seemed that anything was possible. Queueing up outside Greggs at 7.30 am on a Sunday morning, the queues stretched across the road. We travelled most of us with a sense of dread about what Chelsea could do to us. Yet as always with Newcastle United, the closer you get to the ground and the more refreshments you have had the better the chances seem.

On a side note the ability of pubs round Chelsea to declare themselves home pubs and not let away fans in at all, is one that I’m sure would be roundly criticised if all our city centre hostelries did the same.

Team news came out and no Anthony Gordon - positivity blunted. As expected by many following last week’s non event, on the right wing Murphy was out and Miggy in. With Barnes on the left, it was an opportunity for both to really lay down markers for the next few games (reader – they didn’t really.)

If anything, the game started with Chelsea doing exactly what we had expected and running right at us. The ball was in our net in the fifth minute and the afternoon was about to get long. VAR intervened and Palmer was found to be offside. Pressure off.

Not for long. To be fair to Maresca he has made Chelsea highly effective and like Dennis Wise, thoroughly unlikeable. They are big, strong and quick and they cut through you with ease. They managed to get the ball perfectly behind our back line, Schar desperately tried to tackle, all that meant was the space opened up for Palmer and Jackson, this time the latter converted with no hope of an intervention to save us.

Back we came though. Tino made a great run and played in Barnes, Hall overlapped and the ball was on a plate for Isak. A slight VAR delay whilst some people back in Newcastle were telling us it was offside, thankfully he wasn’t.

Simon Hooper had yet another game where he showed everyone why he isn’t up to being a Premier League referee but he’ll be back next week. Levi Colwill felled Bruno but pointed outside the box to show it wasn’t a penalty. Hooper’s decision … play on! In the second half he gave one against Burn and thankfully went to the screen as directed by Jared G and took it back.

The second half was barely a minute in and we found ourselves behind again, Cole Palmer netting himself this time. It was a bit of a concern that Pope was beaten at his near post. It feels slightly unfair to nitpick at him, but whereas he could do nothing for the first, this one he could.

Now to the first real sign of discontent from the away end at the manager’s decisions. Tonali being removed (again) was greeted with audible booing, not for his replacement or for his performance. This is a sign that all is not well; those periods of good will are running drier. This wasn’t a good performance by Newcastle but we need our best players for longer.

Having said that, Joe Willock also arrived to replace Barnes and provided an injection of creativity and a little spark. Isak clearly likes playing with him. The Swede should have got a second or given Joelinton one on a plate, but for some reason just refused to pass or shoot. When your luck is out, then it really is.

After that we huffed and puffed but we hardly banged on the door. I think Chelsea were comfortable with the score at 2-1 and were happy to allow us some of the ball in the hope that we weren’t going to have a wallop from far out.

Today’s game actually was our season in a microcosm. Our defence isn’t strong enough to go ninety minutes without conceding against any team that really tries to make us work. Our midfield shape doesn’t seem right and isn’t adaptable when we come up against a 4-5-1. Finally, we don’t create many chances and when we do, we have a propensity to miss them or allow the defenders a chance to block.

I don’t want Eddie Howe to be under the pressure he now is. This is a massive week for the club and for him. We’ve three big games in six days, and we’ve lost the first one. There’s a chance for revenge on Wednesday night, but the Chelsea midweek side still looks strong. Then it’s Arsenal who will be out for revenge after last season.

Walking away from Chelsea, something else struck me. The amount of fans with Chelsea club shop bags, the amount of fans who didn’t sing. The amount of people who took pictures of every Chelsea player even if they were just warming up.

It was a long journey back but it was worth it to engage in some long held NUFC traditions – trying to find the positives in another defeat in the capital.

It’s not good enough at the moment. The bottom line is that you can’t sit twelfth in the league and claim to be elite.

Stephen Ord @smord84