Chelsea travelled to St James Park on Saturday lunchtime to face Newcastle United, and came away with a point to show for it. The West Londoners played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Eddie Howe’s men, showing good character to earn a point despite being 2-0 down at half-time.
Newcastle players react
It was a tough start to the game for the reigning Club World Cup champions. Nick Woltemade scored twice inside the first 20 minutes, and it certainly felt like both goals could have been prevented. The first came from some sloppy defending, and the second was a well-worked free kick.
After a disappointing first 45 minutes, Enzo Maresca's side came back out for the second half and dominated Newcastle for most of it. They had nine shots in the second period and scored twice. The first was a wonderful free-kick from captain Reece James in the 49th minute.
Chelsea’s equaliser came from Joao Pedro with just under 25 minutes to go. It was an intelligent piece of work from the Brazilian, who turned Malick Thiaw with a clever header, before keeping his composure in the one-on-one against Aaron Ramsdale and scoring.
The Blues couldn’t find a winner, but a point away to Newcastle from 2-0 down is still impressive. It was also another step closer to Cole Palmer’s full return.
How Palmer fared against Newcastle
With each passing game, Chelsea star Palmer gets closer to full fitness. Last weekend, he scored for the first time since his return and started a second consecutive Premier League game, on what was an overcast Saturday lunchtime at St James’ Park.
Cole Palmer
It was certainly not the easiest game against the Magpies for Palmer. His side were outplayed in the first half, and he struggled for much involvement, through no fault of his own. His second-half showing was better, with more involvement, but he was certainly not at his best.
That was noted by Bobby Vincent, senior Chelsea writer for Football London. He gave the England star a 5/10 rating for his efforts, and described it as a "frustrating" afternoon’s work for Palmer.
Palmer-2
Indeed, the stats somewhat show that he was not at his fluid best in the North East. Palmer only had 49 touches, a lower number than you may expect in 79 minutes. He still created a chance and made four recoveries.
Palmer will certainly get back to his best before long. However, he was outshone against Newcastle by a Chelsea teammate who was excellent.
Chelsea’s standout player at St James’ Park
It was not Palmer’s finest performance, but when they needed him most, club captain Reece James stood up for the count. Playing in midfield before moving to full-back later in the game, the Englishman had some standout moments across the 90 minutes.
Reece James
Of course, his free kick, which started the comeback, was a pivotal contribution. The Blues skipper was a good 25 yards away from goal, but lifted his strike over the Newcastle wall, before it crashed in off the woodwork.
His work was not done there, though. At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea’s number 24 made a goal-saving tackle on Harvey Barnes. The winger had been slipped through and seemed certain to score, but James came out of nowhere to slide in and dispossess him.
Such a wonderful performance earned an 8/10 rating from Vincent. The numbers back up such a high rating, with James having 64 touches of the ball, winning 100% of his tackles, and completing 84% of his passes.
James key stats vs. Newcastle
Stat
Touches
Pass accuracy
Passes completed
Duels won
Tackles won
Goals
Stats from Sofascore
It would not be too far-fetched to suggest that the Cobham academy graduate is Chelsea’s best player. Of course, you have the likes of Palmer in Maresca’s squad, but James is incredibly versatile, exceptional on the ball, and a true leader, offering quality at both ends of the pitch.
His goal-saving tackle and his free-kick were essentially worth two goals, which shows how he can influence matches with vital moments at both ends, something that Palmer cannot do as an attacking player.
reece james
As football content creator Lyes Bouzidi said, the 26-year-old is “out of this world.” He offers so much to the Chelsea side and is a key player for a multitude of reasons. James could be considered their best player, especially after his all-round contributions against the Magpies.
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Chelsea have a player who has massively struggled to prove his worth at Stamford Bridge.