Chelsea player ratings vs Newcastle with one 4/10 and Cole Palmer poor in loss | Football | Sport

Anthony Gordon led Newcastle United to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening. The Blues could potentially drop out of the Premier League top four this weekend if Liverpool manage to secure at least a draw against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. The Magpies striker opened the deadlock when Gordon slotted the ball into an empty net after Newcastle caught Chelsea outnumbered in defence.

Chelsea started the second half on the front foot, with the majority of possession. But despite the Club World Cup champions creating numerous opportunities, they eventually eased off and appeared bereft of any creativity at the end.

Express Sport rates and slates the Chelsea performances…

Chelsea player ratings vs Newcastle

Robert Sanchez – 6

Sanchez was powerless to prevent the opener. The Chelsea defence left him exposed as Willock darted behind Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah before squaring it to Gordon. The Blues goalkeeper did, however, make a few saves in the first half and he was assured in possession.

Gusto produced a handful of promising moments in the opening period, but his end product was lacking. The Blues defender was substituted by Liam Delap at half-time.

Fofana made life difficult for himself when he received an early caution.

Chalobah was found wanting positionally for the opening goal, allowing Tino Livramento to slice through the Chelsea defence.

Cucurella endured an anxious opening to proceedings, surrendering possession with a careless pass. The Blues defender, who collected an unnecessary booking in added time, failed to make much impact down the left flank.

Caicedo performed admirably in the first 15 minutes, executing several strong challenges in and around the Chelsea area. The Blues midfielder was unlucky to receive a caution midway through the opening half. He was penalised for a challenge when he won the ball from Nick Woltemade.

James found himself under scrutiny when he was accused of fouling Malick Thiaw inside the penalty area towards the conclusion of the first half, but the Video Assistant Referee exonerated the Chelsea captain of any misconduct. Apart from that, he experienced a relatively subdued opening 45 minutes. He proved as dependable as always in the second period, fashioning one excellent opportunity where Chalobah headed wide.

Palmer had a few opportunities to put Chelsea on the scoreboard, but he was unable to challenge Aaron Ramsdale.

Fernandez maintained a steady performance throughout the match, delivering his first defence-splitting pass in the second half. The Chelsea midfielder set Delap through on goal, but his shot was blocked.

Garnacho didn’t come alive until the early moments of the second half. Prior to the interval, the Chelsea winger took a couple of shots and sent in a few crosses, but he was unable to breach the Newcastle defence.

Joao Pedro made a promising start to the game, demonstrating good ball control and involving his teammates in the play. However, it didn’t amount to much, as the Chelsea forward was seldom given the opportunity to test Aaron Ramsdale. He resumed after the break where he left off, displaying some neat touches and turns, but found little success in the penalty area.

Substitutes

Liam Delap – 6

Delap wasn’t shy about asserting his physical presence in the early stages of the second half, injecting some much-needed vigour into Rosenior’s team. The Chelsea forward kept the Magpies’ defence on their toes, but his first significant opportunity didn’t arrive until the 75th minute and he blasted it over the bar.

Lavia was composed with the ball and kept the game flowing, but he didn’t exactly set the pitch on fire.

With Newcastle content to absorb the pressure and maintain a deep defensive line, Hato wasn’t heavily involved. However, he certainly showcased his ability to recover quickly. The Chelsea defender covers ground effortlessly.