Newcastle United moved into third place in the Premier League with a 2–0 win over Chelsea, tightening their grip on a Champions League place with only two matches to play.
Goals from Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, either side of a red card for Nicolas Jackson at the very ends of the game—one two minutes in, the other close to injury time—secured the three points for the Magpies at St James’ Park.
Tonali opened the scoring less than two minutes in, finishing a low cross from Jacob Murphy after Newcastle pressed high and forced a turnover near Chelsea’s box. The Magpies continued to dominate the early phases of the game, exploiting space on both flanks in Eddie Howe’s rarely used 3–4–3 formation.
The game shifted further in Newcastle’s favour 35 minutes in, when Jackson was dismissed for a beyond-ridiculous elbow to the head. Initially booked by referee John Brooks for a swinging arm that caught Sven Botman in the face, the forward saw his card upgraded to red after a VAR check.
Enzo Maresca refused to acknowledge Jackson as he left the pitch, won’t have to do so until the second game of the 2025-26 campaign, and Chelsea struggled to recover.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea made a strong effort and put NUFC under pressure while attempting to find a much-needed equaliser in the second half.
Nick Pope was called into action with key saves from Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, while Reece James headed over Pope’s goal late. Newcastle’s defense held firm, with Botman making his first start since February and Livramento and Murphy covering the wings on Howe’s rarely-used formation.
Ultimately, Bruno settled the contest in the 90th minute with a long-range effort that took a deflection on its way into the top corner. Chelsea’s ten men had pushed high in search of a late leveler, leaving space for Newcastle to counter and finish the game, and the Magpies obliged.
“It was a massive win for us,” Howe said. “We knew the importance before the game, but it’s so tight. It puts us in a stronger position, but it’s still so tight. We have two games left to keep our focus.”
The win keeps Newcastle three points clear of Chelsea and Aston Villa, with a trip to Arsenal up next before finishing the season at home to Everton. The Gunners sit in second place with 68 points to Newcastle’s 66 as Man City looks from behind with 65 points.