Result
Chelsea and Newcastle faced off in one of five Premier League ties taking place at 2 pm on Sunday.
The Blues headed into the game on a solid run of form on the field, but with any success currently being marred by off-the-field issues.
Newcastle, meanwhile, were looking to continue their unbeaten streak that has seen them climb out of the relegation zone and up to 14th in the league.
But when all was said and done at Stamford Bridge, Newcastle’s unbeaten run came to an end after Kai Havertz got on the end of an over-the-top ball and smashed his effort past Martin Dubravka.
Chelsea player ratings
Edouard Mendy (6) – Had little to do but did what he had to well.
Trevoh Chalobah (4.5) – Handed a rare start at right-back and struggled somewhat in his new position, giving possession away on a number of occasions and lacking the effectiveness of a Reece James in the final third.
Antonio Rudiger (6) – A solid game from Rudiger who didn’t have that much to deal with.
Andreas Christensen (6) – Didn’t do an awful lot wrong but was not tested much.
Malang Sarr (5) – Did a solid job out of position defensively but offered little going forward. Taken off after 78 minutes.
Jorginho (7) – A quiet game from the Italian. Was tasked with dictating the tempo of the game from deep but struggled to do so. His ball for the Havertz winner was superb though.
Kante (6.5) – Another solid showing from Kante who made a number of key tackles and helped keep Newcastle pinned back in their own half.
Mason Mount (5) – Not Mount’s best game in a Chelsea shirt, much less effective in the no.8 role than he has been out wide. Off after 63 minutes.
Hakim Ziyech (6) – Played some key passes and helped out Chalobah at right-back. None of his created chances were finished off though.
Kai Havertz (7) – Once again used as a false-nine. Havertz’s passing was on point throughout the game, linking defence and attack well. Not good enough in front of goal – should have scored his free header 76 minutes in but eventually netted the winner after 88 minutes.
Timo Werner (5) – No shots on target nor crosses in the game, passing was also questionable. Did win a penalty but was typically offside. Taken off after 63 minutes.
Subs
Romelu Lukaku (2) – Did very little in his time on the pitch.
Mateo Kovacic (6.5) – Offered a lot more energy and creativity in midfield when he came on.
Christian Pulisic (4) – Had little effect on the game.
Newcastle player ratings
Martin Dubravka (5) – Didn’t have a save to make in the first half, could have done better with the Havertz goal.
Javier Manquillo (5) – Not the most impressive showing but helped keep Werner and Pulisic quiet.
Fabian Schar (5)– An ok performance from the defender, could do little about the Chelsea goal.
Jamal Lascelles (5) – Made a number of clearances but his passing was poor, and he struggled to deal with the pace of Chelsea’s attack.
Dan Burn (4) – Came close to scoring from a header in the first half and helped neutralise any aerial threat from Chelsea until the Havertz goal, switching off at a key moment that ultimately cost Newcastle the game.
Matt Targett (5) – Not a terrible game from Targett but he struggled to keep Ziyech quiet.
Jacob Murphy (3.5) – A really ineffective display that saw him offer little at either end of the pitch.
Sean Longstaff (4.5) – A very underwhelming display that saw him have little impact on the game.
Bruno Guimaraes (6.5) – Won a number of key duels in midfield but had a hard time dealing with Kovacic when he came on.
Miguel Almiron (5) – A lively character but struggled to cause Chelsea any real issues, replaced after 69 minutes.
Chris Wood (3.5) – Struggled to have any real impact on the game in the first half.
Subs
Allan Saint-Maximin (3) - An ineffective sub appearance from the Frenchman.
Dwight Gayle (N/A) – Only on for the final few moments.
Ryan Fraser - (N/A) – Only on for the final few moments.
What they said
Havertz on his challenge on Dan Burn: "People know me not as a player who does things like this. This guy is like seven, eight foot and I have to jump against him. You have to use arms to jump and when I jump he is higher than me, so it is tough.
"I can say sorry because I saw he was hurt and feel bad, but you cannot tell me I did this on purpose."
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