Chelsea were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United in their final Premier League match before the World Cup break. Former Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock’s second half thunderbolt was the difference at St. James’ Park on Saturday evening.
The Blues were under pressure to impress as they travelled north this weekend after failing to win in their previous four league matches. However, it was Newcastle that went into the match as favourites as they sat fourth in the Premier League table.
Graham Potter’s side were at a disavantage only six minutes in when Ruben Loftus-Cheek was forced off with an injury and was replaced by Thiago Silva. The Blues really struggled to get going on Tyneside and only managed two shots on target in 90 minutes - with Potter choosing to leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench throughout.
Chelsea had looked like they were clawing their way back into the game on the hour mark before the Magpies snatched the only goal of the game. While Eddie Howe’s side defended well, the Blues struggled to provide much of a threat to their backline. After another disappointing result, here is how we rated the Chelsea players today.
5. Cesar Azpilicueta - 6
The Spaniard had a few nervy moments on the right but overall had a solid performance. | Getty Images
6. Lewis Hall - 6
Didn’t have the chance to show off his talent on his Premier League debut but the 18-year-old didn’t look out of place. | Getty Images
7. Jorginho - 4
Picked up a first-half yellow card and did very little in the midfield for the remainder of the match. | Getty Images
8. Conor Gallagher - 6
Overall a positive performance though struggled to retain possession on a number of occasions. | Getty Images