Like naughty boys in a playground, Chelsea’s players circled referee Paul Tierney during their pre-match huddle, as if capturing the teacher at play-time. Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez giggled away. It was weird, immature and smacked of ill discipline, much like the performance that followed.
If only they had got that close to scorer Anthony Gordon and creator Joe Willock for the game’s only goal. Neither that defending nor the taking hostage of Tierney reflected well on boss Liam Rosenior. He, too, can come across as strange at times, an erraticism reflected by his side’s declining form.
Take Rosenior’s costume changes during the course of this defeat. There was a jacket and a gilet, and then there was not. And then there was. It betrayed a chaotic and agitated mind. That is what a 5-2 midweek defeat by Paris Saint-Germain can do to a manager, who will know that a limp exit in the Champions League last 16 and failure to qualify for next season’s edition through the Premier League could well cost him his job. It feels as if the wheels as well as Rosenior’s outer layers are starting to come off.
By the time the weekend’s fixtures are done – given Liverpool are playing hapless Tottenham – Chelsea will almost certainly be three points adrift of fifth position. Amid a run of one win in five, they have negative momentum at a time when matches are running out. The boos that sent them down the tunnel on full-time will hardly inspire ahead of Tuesday’s return leg against PSG.
Indeed, this was a Premier League fixture framed by the Champions League, both by its place in the calendar and the significance of its outcome. Chelsea went with their strongest XI because they are under pressure to finish in the top five. Newcastle made six changes because, unlike Chelsea, they still have a chance of making the Champions League quarter-final after a 1-1 draw with Barcelona. They also started this game in 13th and, of late, the Premier League has felt like less of a priority. Maybe not so now. They are six points behind Chelsea and have restored feel-good after this win on the back of a victory over in-form Manchester United.
While they celebrated with their fans at the end, the home masses spat criticism towards their departing players. Reece James, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer had done nowhere near enough to influence the game. It was a damning verdict.
Liam Rosenior’s erratic nature is reflected in the form of his team, with the Chelsea boss knowing a limp Champions League exit and failure to qualify again may cost him his job
Chelsea players circled referee Paul Tierney during their pre-match huddle in an immature moment that smacked of ill discipline, much like the performance that followed
Anthony Gordon scored Newcastle’s winner and demonstrated again that he is invaluable for Eddie Howe and will likely be a key player for England at the World Cup
You can attach whatever D you want to Newcastle’s display – dogged at the death, determined in the middle and disciplined throughout. There was also the desire of match-winner Anthony Gordon and the dark arts that saw home the win.
After a slow start in what was a sedate Stamford Bridge – there is a sense of increasing dissatisfaction here – Chelsea had just started to quicken the pulse when they conceded in the 19th minute. There had been five efforts on Newcastle’s goal in a six-minute spell, none of them particularly close, but the opener felt in the post. It was, only Gordon delivered it at the other end.
Tino Livramento stepped from defence unopposed and sent Joe Willock clear. Again, Chelsea’s resistance to the runner was non-existent. Gordon then ran faster than Reece James to get on terms with Willock and his reward was an open goal when his team-mate squared unselfishly.
Gordon’s will was just as apparent in defence. Twice before half-time he made recovery runs to deny Chelsea shooting opportunities. With Thomas Tuchel in the stands – and the England boss still searching for a back-up to Harry Kane who he likes – Gordon’s energy, quality and nuisance value as a central striker would not have gone unnoticed.
He will likely be Tuchel’s left-wing starter this summer, but this was yet more evidence of a very valuable and versatile string to his bow. Indeed, for Eddie Howe right now, it is invaluable.
Gordon is his first-choice striker and justifiably so, even if that is ahead of £69million club-record signing Nick Woltemade, Germany’s No.9 who was again deployed as a No.8. Woltemade struggled with the heat and intensity of the engine-room and was replaced in the 66th minute. Howe’s introduction of Joelinton and Dan Burn felt like calling in the doormen for chucking-out time.
They did what Chelsea had done to Tierney, circling the wagons and protecting their team’s slender lead. Newcastle kicked, headed and blocked everything Chelsea threw at them in the closing stages. The only thing they did not have to repel was Rosenior’s jacket. That, by now, was nowhere to be seen, much like Chelsea’s top players had been all evening.
