More points dropped from a winning position at St James’ Park as Newcastle let slip a 2-0 lead in today’s early kick-off against Chelsea.
Our start was electric, and we made it count with an early Nick Woltemade brace in a brilliant first half display, but two soft Chelsea goals in the second 45 saw us turn what would’ve been three massive points into a bitterly frustrating draw.
While we do have ourselves to blame, with big questions to be had around our mentality and inability to protect a lead once again, we were robbed of a penalty while 2-1 up in the 55th minute. Chalobah smashed into Gordon, VAR checked it and stuck by Andy Madley’s on-field decision.
A shocking decision and one that may get us a PGMOL ‘apology’ in the coming days, but that doesn’t change the fact we have thrown away yet more points from a winning position and failed to build on that outstanding opening 45.
Win and we would’ve gone three behind fourth-place Chelsea and back into the top 10 and headed into Christmas with a big confidence boost, yet it’s an all too familiar feeling at the end of a game that we hoped could be a turning point.
Whether it’s Spurs (2-2), Arsenal (1-2) or Chelsea (2-2), we’ve now dropped 13 points from leading positions this season and failed to keep a clean sheet in our last 10.
Eddie Howe made four changes from our midweek win in the cup, with Woltemade, Gordon, Tonali and Hall replacing Wissa, Barnes, Willock and Livramento.
The first half was Newcastle at their best. A lightning quick start saw us at our best on and off the ball, with our pressing, passing, physicality and patters of play all razor sharp. Gordon was bang at it, Woltemade’s brace was just what he needed after last Sunday’s howler, Hall was winning everything and Miley was outstanding at right-back, with our midfield getting the better of a star-studded trio of Caicedo, James and Palmer.
It was vintage Eddie Howe and exactly what we’ve bee crying out for. But it all fell apart too easily as soft goals were our undoing once again in a second half that suddenly became frantic and their for anyone to win.
James’ free kick to pull one back was a moment of quality, although Ramsdale is beaten too easily for me and gets across far too slowly. For the second, it’s a simple long ball, rare mistake from Thiaw and Pedro finish that was decent but one Ramsdale may have done better with had he made himself bigger.
There were chances for us, with Barnes firing a volley wide from Bruno’s pass, Elanga wasting a counter attack and Gordon doing similar before Chelsea broke to equalise, but a game we had in the palm of our hand was ultimately allowed to slip once again.
The mentality issues will be called into question once again, as will our in-game inconsistencies after such a dominant first half, but it was a second half where all the big moments went against us. James’ free kick, Thiaw’s error and that VAR shocker that denied us the chance to go 3-1 up.
Ultimately, errors cost us dearly, too many who were at it in the first half let their levels drop, Chelsea capitalised, albeit with a little help from VAR.
Next up, a rare break between now and Christmas before a trip to Man Utd on Boxing Day.
Keep the faith. Howay the lads!
**Newcastle XI:** Ramsdale – Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall – Guimaraes, Tonali, Ramsey– Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon.
**Substitutes:** Ruddy, Joelinton, Wissa, Barnes, Elanga, Willock, A Murphy, Neave, Shahar.
**Chelsea XI:** Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Joao Pedro.