Newcastle United beat Chelsea 1-0 in their final game before the World Cup break to move up to third in the Premier League.
Eddie Huey has been flying in recent weeks and is unexpectedly pushing himself for European qualification as the season nears midway.
Chelsea, meanwhile, seem to have hit a wall under new manager Graham Potter and have suffered a string of damaging defeats in their last few games, making this a must-win for the Blues. Is.
It was as incomplete and uninspiring a first half as you’re likely to see in the Premier League all season, with the main talking point coming after just five minutes when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was taken off injured. It is visible.
The remainder of the half was a stop-start affair, with neither side able to get into a rhythm. Newcastle began to dominate possession as the half wore on, but there was little to show for it at the break.
It wasn’t until the second half that either side started to come alive, with Newcastle going close five minutes after the restart when Edouard Mendy saved from Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff fired over from close range.
Chelsea offered precious little in attack, and there was no chance of note until 25 minutes from time when Conor Gallagher forced an excellent save from Nick Pope.
Moments later, Keiji’s case finally saw its first goal – and it was the Magpies who celebrated thanks to a glimpse of real quality. Elmiron tied the Chelsea defense in knots with a mazy run from the halfway line before cutting inside to open up an angle for a shot.
The Paraguayans were closed down by the defenders, but managed to get the ball into the path of the oncoming Joe Vlak, who unleashed a superb strike from the edge of the box to give his side the lead.
As time went on, what was truly striking was Chelsea’s complete lack of attacking impetus. Potter’s side looked bereft of inspiration and ideas at St James’ Park, and deservedly came out on the losing side.
Victory means Newcastle’s prized third place in the Premier League table will remain intact when they return on Boxing Day, with Chelsea in eighth.
Sven Boatman had a solid game / Stu Forster / Getty Images
GK: Nick Pope – 7/10 – He will have busier games, but his save from Conor Gallagher was a highlight today.
RB: Kieran Trippier – 8/10 – Trappier might be England’s first-choice right-back right now due to injury, but he is really starting to look the part for Newcastle. Another solid performance today.
CB: Fabian Schar – 8/10 – Another outstanding performance from Schar, who has forged a promising partnership with Botman in recent weeks.
CB: Sven Boatman – 8/10 – A really assured, confident display from the Dutch defender, which was a big part of the reason why Chelsea looked so blunt in attack.
LB: Dan Byrne – 7/10 – Well, Chelsea didn’t manage to find any joy down Newcastle’s left – but maybe that was just because they lined up with Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher down that side. Lightwork for Burn.
CDM: Bruno Guimaraes – 6/10 – It wasn’t vintage Bruno by any means, but we were still treated to some silky touches by the Brazilian.
CM: Sean Longstaff – 6/10 – A lot of water is being carried for Longstaff today, getting little notice in the game he was involved in.
CM: Joe Wilk – 8/10 – Que. a goal. A beautiful strike from Willock, who turned out to be the match winner for his team today.
RW: Miguel Almiron – 7/10 – Perhaps his poorest game in over a month, but still looked a threat for Newcastle and set up Wilk for the winning goal. not bad.
LW: Joelinton – 7/10 – His physical presence and constant industry made him a thorn in Chelsea’s side.
ST: Chris Wood – 6/10 – Looked a little out of place and struggled to provide his side with an attacking outlet.
SUB: Callum Wilson – 6/10
UB: Jacob Murphy – N/A
SUB: Matt Targett – N/A
Manager: Eddie Howe – 7/10 – Not sure if it was really a masterclass from Howe or if Chelsea just didn’t turn up, but it was a good day for the Newcastle gaffer.
Injuries have severely limited Graham Potter’s options / George Wood / Getty Images
GK: Edward Mandy – 6/10 – A good save from Almiron, but was left stranded by Willock’s brilliant strike.
CB: Cesar Azpilicueta – 6/10 – The drab didn’t attract much attention in the first half, before being subbed off for Pulisic at half-time as Potter looked to improve Chelsea’s fortunes in attack.
CB: Tiruva Chalobah – 7/10 – Quite a solid display from Chalobah, who continues to show why he is in Potter’s starting XI.
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly – 6/10 – Dealt effectively with many Newcastle attacks and provided decent cover for Hall, but couldn’t do anything on goal.
RWB: Ruben Loftus-Cheek – N/A – Suffered early injuries before he could make any impact on the game.
CM: Mateo Kovacic – 6/10 – Worked hard, but struggled against Newcastle’s superior numbers in midfield.
CM: Jorginho – 6/10 – See above.
LWB: Lewis Hall – 6/10 – Newcastle targeted Chelsea’s left flank, making it an uncomfortable day for the 18-year-old.
RW: Conor Gallagher – 6/10 – Chelsea’s best attack of the game forced a good save from Pope.
LW: Mason Mount – 6/10 – With Mount’s quiet form showing no signs of improvement in 2022/23, the England international once again struggled to make an impact today.
ST: Armando Broja – 5/10 – To be fair to Bruja, he had little support and was often Chelsea’s only player in an attacking position. Still, it was a day to forget for the striker.
SUB: Thiago Silva – 7/10 – Kept Newcastle at bay for long periods, and looked much more assured than their partners in the back line.
SUB: Christian Pulisic – 6/10
SUB: Kai Havertz – 6/10
SUB: Hakeem Ziaich – 6/10
SUB: Marc Cucurella – 6/10
Manager: Graham Potter – 5/10 – Set his side up to hit Newcastle on the break, but only managed to give Newcastle the initiative. His side hardly looked like scoring, which is a big problem when you consider their attacking value.