Malick Thiaw was heavily involved in Chelsea’s comeback against Newcastle United on Saturday, but it’s unfair to point the finger of blame at him.
Despite leading 2-0 at half-time at St. James’ Park, Newcastle were pegged back and drew 2-2 with the Blues. It was another disappointing example of the Magpies’ struggles to hold onto a lead this season.
Throwing it away AGAIN! 😬
Newcastle drop points from a winning position once more… Which of these failures disappoints you the most?
Infographic featuring Anthony Gordon and Newcastle United's five results where they dropped points from winning positions.
Credit: Andy Buchanan/ AFP/Getty Images
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Something is clearly very wrong with the mentality of the Newcastle players as they are seemingly unable to sustain their intensity across 90 minutes.
Joao Pedro’s equaliser in the 66th minute came courtesy of a really bad touch from Malick Thiaw, who is usually so reliable. So, should we be worried about the German defender?
Newcastle United v Chelsea - Premier League
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Malick Thiaw played well vs Chelsea
Admittedly, that awful error leading to Chelsea’s goal was pretty bad. Still, Aaron Ramsdale could and should have done better, too.
Aside from the moment that Thiaw will want to forget, he had another really good game this weekend. And, we can back that up with statistics.
As per Sofascore, Thiaw was practically flawless defensively, actually. He made nine defensive contributions including a 100% tackle success rate (two out of two won) and a 100% duel success rate (two out of two also won).
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On top of that, Thiaw made three interceptions, four clearances, and one recovery. Throw in 32 completed passes, including three accurate long balls, and that 6.0 out of 10 rating for Thiaw — the lowest in the Newcastle team — looks extremely harsh.
Why, oh why, do Newcastle keep dropping points?! 👀
A graphic showing the full-time scoreline (2-2) between Newcastle United and Chelsea in the Premier League on 19/12/2025.
Credit: Getty Images/George Wood
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We can’t let one error define Thiaw’s season
Even if that one error against Chelsea was so disastrous, it still doesn’t detract from the fact he’s been a top-quality signing for Newcastle.
He’s been praised so much this season and has barely put a foot wrong. But everyone makes mistakes and it was bound to happen sooner rather than later.
Nick Woltemade says Thiaw is horrible to play against, and most of the Premier League’s best strikers would agree with that after facing Newcastle.
Thiaw has arrived with little pressure at Newcastle and has thrived as the new beating heart of the backline. We need to move on from this mistake and back the player to make amends, as the last thing anyone at the club needs right now is a hit to their confidence.
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