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Player ratings as Gordon fires Newcastle past lacklustre Chelsea
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- Player ratings as Gordon fires Newcastle past lacklustre Chelsea
Player ratings as Gordon fires Newcastle past lacklustre Chelsea
Newcastle United hindered Chelsea 's pursuit of a top-four finish in the Premier League with a narrow 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge today.
Anthony Gordon decided the match in the 18th minute with a simple tap-in after Tino Livramento and Joe Willock completely outplayed the Blues' backline.
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Chelsea failed to get on the scoresheet in the Premier League for the first time since early December.
They could lose further ground on the top four, with Manchester United and Aston Villa playing each other tomorrow.
The Magpies have whittled down the gap on the top six to six points.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Robert Sanchez (7/10) –His defence let him down for the goal. Still made several decent saves to keep his side in the game until the end.
Marc Cucurella (6/10) –Fared well defensively but had too many erratic decisions in attack despite constantly finding himself in promising positions.
Trevoh Chalobah (4/10) –Lost track of Willock for the opening goal and had all sorts of problems against Gordon throughout the match.
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Wesley Fofana (5/10) –Like his centre-back colleague, the Frenchman didn't inspire much confidence. Picked up a booking for a cynical tackle early in the first half.
Malo Gusto (3/10) –Rosenior's decision to take him off at half-time perhaps best illustrates the type of game he had in the opening 45 minutes.
Reece James (6/10) –Far from impressive from the Chelsea captain. Had some crucial interceptions at the back, but had nothing to offer in the final third. Hit the post from a late free-kick.
Moises Caicedo (6/10) –Chelsea needed someone to provide a spark in the middle of the park, yet the Colombian couldn't find his rhythm this evening.
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Alejandro Garnacho (6/10) –Enjoyed plenty of possession but had very little to show for it. Made several disappointing attempts – nothing that would make Ramsdale worried.
Enzo Fernandes (5/10) –The Argentine was supposed to be Chelsea's driving force in the last third. Nothing went his way as he struggled for composure.
Cole Palmer (6/10) –Apart from one decent shot towards the end of the first half, the skilled playmaker had very little impact on the game.
Joao Pedro (4/10) –Spent most of the game cut off from the rest of the pack. Another frustrating evening for the Brazilian striker.
Substitutes
Liam Delap (5/10)
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Romeo Lavia (5/10)
Jorrel Hato (6/10)
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1)
Aaron Ramsdale (8/10) – Another fantastic performance from the Arsenal goalkeeper, who made three saves en route to Newcastle's first clean sheet in the Premier League since mid-January.
Tino Livramento (7/10) –His defence-splitting pass released Willock in space, setting the stage for Newcastle's opener. Completely neutralised Garnacho down the flank.
Malick Thiaw (7/10) –Despite some shaky moments, the German defender held up his end of the bargain, keeping Pedro at bay.
Sven Botman (8/10) –Dominant in his 16-yard box, he won virtually every aerial duel, fending off every attempt from Chelsea to beat Ramsdale from set-piece plays.
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Lewis Hall (6/10) –Despite occasional defensive slip-ups, the former Chelsea man made light work of Palmer. Offered very little in attack.
Joe Willock (7/10) –His instinctive run and unselfishness resulted in Newcastle grabbing an all-important opener. Disappeared from the contest after that moment.
Jacob Ramsey (6/10) –After a decent first half, the versatile midfielder showed little influence after the break and struggled to make a meaningful impact on the game.
Jacob Murphey (5/10) –Not one of his most remarkable showings, misplaced too many passes. His delivery into the box was always off the mark.
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Nick Woltemade (6/10) –Deployed out of position, the German centre-forward did well in the link-up play but never managed to put Sanchez to the test.
Harvey Barnes (5/10) –Largely ineffective throughout the match, he struggled to influence proceedings in the final third and rarely threatened the opposition defence.
Anthony Gordon (8/10) *MOTM* –His blistering pace proved too hot to handle for Chelsea's perplexed backline in that 18th minute. It was enough to propel Newcastle to a rare away win this season.
Substitutes
Joelinton 5/10
Dan Burn 7/10
Anthony Elanga 4/10
