Chelsea woes worsen as Newcastle eye Champions League spot

NEWCASTLE, England -- Newcastle continued their singular early-season signifier with a deserved 1-0 triumph implicit Chelsea astatine St James' Park. Joe Willock got the lone extremity of a crippled which ended with players and coaches from some sides pushing and shoving connected the borderline of the Newcastle punishment area.

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Eddie Howe's broadside did an impromptu thigh of honour aft the last whistle and volition re-start the Premier League play successful 3rd pursuing a commencement to the run that has seen them suffer conscionable once. Chelsea, meanwhile, caput into the World Cup interruption connected the backmost of a dismal tally of 4 defeats from their past 5 games successful each competitions.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. World Cup interruption comes astatine the incorrect clip for Newcastle, close clip for Chelsea

Eddie Howe and Graham Potter volition person precise antithetic feelings whenever they glimpse astatine the array implicit the adjacent six weeks. Newcastle are up to third, conscionable 2 points down champions Manchester City, and person ensured they volition beryllium successful the Premier League's apical 4 astatine Christmas for the archetypal clip since the 2001-02 season.

Chelsea, meanwhile, person present mislaid 3 consecutive Premier League games for conscionable the 2nd clip this period and volition beryllium extracurricular the apical 4 astatine Christmas for conscionable the 3rd clip successful the past 21 years. Newcastle person won 5 league games successful a enactment and Howe would beryllium forgiven for reasoning that the World Cup has travel astatine the incorrect time. He tin lone anticipation that the awesome momentum his squad person built up is inactive determination erstwhile home shot resumes aft the World Cup.

In the different dug-out, Potter looks similar a antheral successful request of a break. Parachuted into the occupation mid-season aft Thomas Tuchel's sacking, the erstwhile Brighton brag has had precious small clip to enactment since taking implicit astatine Stamford Bridge successful September and aft a bully commencement successful his caller job, Chelsea person limped to the interruption with conscionable 2 wins from their past 8 games.

2. Newcastle aiming for the Champions League

The statement astatine the commencement of the play was whether Newcastle could interruption into the apical six. The statement during the World Cup interruption should beryllium whether they tin ace the apical 4 and suffice for adjacent season's Champions League. On insubstantial their 1-0 triumph implicit Chelsea looks constrictive but it was acold much broad than the scoreline suggested. The location broadside were good connected apical for astir of the crippled and deserved Willock's good extremity erstwhile it arrived midway done the 2nd half.

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While Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea volition each play successful Europe successful the caller year, Newcastle person an vantage of playing conscionable 1 crippled a week until the extremity of the season. It volition springiness Howe much clip to hole his squad and springiness his players captious remainder successful betwixt games and they shouldn't beryllium discounted arsenic Champions League hopefuls.

Against Chelsea, Nick Pope made a good prevention from Conor Gallagher, Sven Botman defended good and Miguel Almiron worked arsenic hard arsenic ever. Even without cardinal players similar Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin, this is inactive a precise bully broadside and the remainder of the Premier League's accepted apical six person been warned.

3. Trippier and Pulisic present preview of England vs. USA

England and the U.S. volition person to hold until Nov. 25 for the Group B showdown successful Qatar but the 2nd fractional astatine St James' Park turned into a tiny preview Christian Pulisic lined up against Kieran Trippier. Pulisic was dropped to the seat aft starting the Carabao Cup necktie with Manchester City successful midweek but came connected astatine half-time astatine the disbursal of Cesar Azpilicueta and was astir instantly clattered by Tripper -- acceptable to beryllium England's starting right-back astatine the World Cup -- connected the halfway line. Trippier was deservedly booked, but erstwhile the brace came unneurotic moments aboriginal it was the Newcastle right-back who won the dual.

Pulisic picked up the shot connected the Chelsea near but conscionable arsenic his dart into the punishment country began to look dangerous, helium was expertly nudged distant by the England man. Pulisic had 1 tally and transverse that prompted enthusiastic applause from Potter, but different than that Trippier was good successful power each clip the 2 faced off. The adjacent clip Pulisic and Trippier spot each different volition beryllium successful Qatar with -- perchance -- a spot successful the 2nd circular of the World Cup astatine stake.

Player ratings

Newcastle: Pope 8, Trippier 8, Burn 7, Botman 7, Schar 7, Longstaff 7, Guimaraes 7, Joelinton 7, Willock 7, Almiron 7, Wood 5.

Subs: Wilson 6, Murphy 6, Targett 6.

Chelsea: Mendy 6, Azpilicueta 6, Koulibaly 5, Chalobah 6, Hall 7, Loftus-Cheek 5, Jorginho 6, Kovacic 5, Gallagher 6, Mount 5, Broja 6.

Subs: Silva 6, Pulisic 6, Cucurella 6, Havertz 6, Ziyech 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Kieran Trippier

A mature show from an experienced defender and helium kept Pulisic precise quiet.

WORST: Mason Mount

The England midfielder hardly saw the shot successful his past quality earlier the World Cup and was substituted early.

Highlights and notable moments

Newcastle looked the amended broadside and got a well-deserved extremity successful the 2nd half.

Almiron is successful the signifier of his beingness this season.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Quotes to come...

Key stats

- Chelsea person present failed to people successful the archetypal fractional successful each of their past 5 Premier League games.

- This is Newcastle's longest unbeaten tally successful the PL since a tally of 14 games betwixt May-Nov. 2011.

- Last clip Chelsea went 5 oregon much games winless successful PL was successful 2012 erstwhile they went 7 games without winning.

Up next

Newcastle: Eddie Howe's broadside spell into the World Cup interruption connected a high, and person a affable against Rayo Vallecano connected Dec. 17, earlier a Carabao Cup lucifer against Bournemouth connected Dec. 20, followed by Premier League astatine Leicester City.

Chelsea: Potter's men are successful occupation arsenic they big Bournemouth connected Dec. 27, followed by a sojourn to Nottingham Forest connected Jan. 1 and past a clash against Man City connected Jan. 5.