gate's open
Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2: Cole Palmer runs the show in front of Gareth Southgate as Blues keep slim European hopes alive
Another potential England star missed a crucial chance, though
GARETH SOUTHGATE and Adam Sandler in the same stadium sums up what Chelsea is about right now.
The England manager and a Hollywood A-Lister - the football establishment forced to share the spotlight with Tinseltown.
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There was plenty to watch to entertain both men even if like a lot of Sandler’s movies, it wasn’t of the highest quality.
Slapstick defending but also a moment of class from England’s rising star in Cole Palmer.
His incisive left foot goal turned the tide of a game hanging in the balance and set Sandler’s adopted team on the path to a win that takes huge pressure off boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Palmer also provided the magic touch for Nicolas Jackson to score his ninth Premier League goal of the season after only six minutes. The striker now finally has as many top flight goals as bookings.
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For Newcastle, Stamford Bridge remains a frustrating place to visit. Still no victory in this part of West London since 2012.
And the added fallout from this defeat means that this unreliable Chelsea team has pulled up to within one point of them in 10th place. Not a good look for Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager also finding life tough at present.
England head coach Southgate will have been impressed by Palmer as he prepares to name a squad on Thursday for the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
The best and most consistent player at Chelsea in a wobbly season has a fighting chance to make it to the Euros this summer with the kind of maturity he is showing in his first big season.
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Chelsea’s American chairman Todd Boehly will have been relieved by the classy goal scored by Mykhailo Mudryk, his £62 million pet project who has failed to find regular form since his arrival more than a year ago.
For all his faults, Mykhailo seems to enjoy playing against Newcastle. He scored the last minute equaliser that sent December’s Carabao Cup quarter final into extra time, which Chelsea ultimately won on penalties.
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Chelsea were tenth at the back end of last year and are now beached in 11th. They were not budging last night irrespective of the result.
Even so, the early present of a goal was gratefully received as a means to inject some confidence if nothing else after chucking the lead away at Brentford in their previous match.
Palmer poked a ball out right to Malo Gusto. The Frenchman darted into the box and crossed.
Sven Botman hoiked it away but only as far as Palmer to hit a low, diagonal shot towards goal.
Jackson stuck out a toe nail and deflected it just enough to deceive keeper Martin Dubravka.
Neither team looked convincing. Chelsea as they wobbled while defending a slender lead, Newcastle as they failed to capitalise on it.
They came close to pulling level following the misfortune of seeing winger Anthony Gordon limp off with injury.
His replacement Jacob Murphy was involved within seconds of coming on, delivering a pinpoint cross into the six yard box, only for Alexander Isak to miss connecting by a whisker.
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Miguel Almiron returned the ball immediately into the danger area and Joe Willock put the ball over the bar from three yards.
They finally found the target in the 43rd minute but mainly thanks to Chelsea typically cocking it up in a comedic way that Sandler would be proud of.
Malo Gusto’s impromptu keepy-uppy session in the centre circle started the collapse.
Even though he was rescued by team-mate Trevoh Chalobah winning possession, Chelsea were in a muddle.
Bruno Guimaraes nipped in, laid off a masterful ball wide left to Isak who shimmied then drilled a shot into the opposite corner to claim his 12th Premier League goal of the season.
Newcastle came close to taking the lead early in the second half when Miguel Almiron blasted straight at Petrovic.
Then a patient build up by Pochettino’s team resulted in Palmer adding a goal to his earlier assist.
Fed the ball by Enzo Fernedez on the edge of the box, he switched to his left foot and shot through the legs of Dan Burn to make it 2-1.
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Moments later Raheem Sterling, a player being consistently overlooked by Southgate in recent England squads, dithered when put clean through with a chance to put the game out of sight.
Instead of squaring the ball to Palmer, he chose to go round the keeper by which time Burn had blocked out the goal-line with his substantial frame and smothered the shot.
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Mudryk’s burst of pace through the middle to take the ball off team-mate Conor Gallgher on the edge of the box was remarkable to watch - not for his trademark pace but for the cool way the Ukrainian rounded Dubravka and slotted in for 3-1.
But there was a typical Hollywood finish when sub Murphy blasted in an absolute thunderbolt on the stroke of 90 minutes to make it 3-2 and set up a grandstand finish.
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