The return of Reece James to being one of the best players in the Premier League continued as Chelsea saved a point on Saturday against Newcastle United.
Alan Shearer thinks James turned the game around for the Blues, who were 2-0 down before his brilliant free-kick beat Aaron Ramsdale early in the second half.
Chelsea would later equalise through Joao Pedro, however again relied on their club captain to save them after putting in a goal-saving tackle late on.
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A very entertaining game between the two sides saw a draw eventually be a fair result, even though Newcastle had dominated the first half.
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Reece James had long chat with Lewis Hall after Chelsea 2-2 Newcastle
One of their better performing players is a man Chelsea know all too well about. Lewis Hall enjoyed another great performance, this time against his former side.
Despite looking very impressive in a bleak time for the Blues under Graham Potter, Chelsea cashed in on Hall and sold him in 2023.
As opposition players shook hands at the end of the game, James and Hall had a long chat in the middle of the pitch, before embracing and moving on.
James had approached former teammate Noni Madueke after Chelsea’s draw with Arsenal in November, after the winger had endured a hostile environment upon his return to Stamford Bridge.
Hall is by no means an unpopular figure to Chelsea fans, and actually someone many would love to still have at the club.
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Chelsea regretting Lewis Hall sale
Hall has been tipped to start for England at the upcoming World Cup after establishing himself as a very important member of the Newcastle first team.
Chelsea surely regret Lewis Hall sale 😬
Is there any recent departure you’d rather see back at Stamford Bridge?
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While securing £28m was no doubt vital for the Blues’ finances it remains to be seen whether Chelsea would be able to secure a better option for that money.
The Blues paid slightly more for Jorrel Hato from Ajax, who Enzo Maresca seems to not trust too much with minutes at this stage.
This has seen Marc Cucurella hardly receive a rest. The Spaniard is close to 70 games over the last 12 months, and is set to play in at least one of the last two games of 2025.
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