Positives and negatives from the loss against Chelsea

Newcastle United suffered a minimal defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge yesterday as a result of a second half goal from Marcos Alonso.

Newcastle United’s momentum from the win against Manchester United before the international break was snapped rather quickly by Chelsea. The Magpies were competitive and looked dangerous in the first half, but the Blues grew more comfortable after the break and forced Steve Bruce’s side to defend in large numbers.

As a result, the visitors were inviting the attack from Chelsea and the game winning goal finally came in the 73rd minute when Marcos Alonso’s powerful strike from the edge of the box got past Martin Dubravka. Overall, it was a tale of two halves for Newcastle United yesterday. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the positives and negatives from the Magpies’ performance yesterday.

Positives

• Allan Saint-Maximin didn’t let the international break throw off his momentum. He picked up right where he left off against Manchester United. The Frenchman orchestrated multiple attacks up the middle of the pitch and hustled back defensively. It’s becoming clear that Saint-Maximin is the most dynamic and exciting player in the squad.
• Despite conceding a goal late in the second half, Newcastle United were stubborn defensively and this frustrated Frank Lampard’s troops. Against most teams outside the top six, the Magpies’ defensive performance yesterday would have earned a clean sheet, so there are plenty of positives to take away from this defensive solidity.

Negatives

• Newcastle United didn’t look comfortable on the ball, especially in midfield. Chelsea did well to apply to pressure and force errors, but even when the Toon had plenty of space and options in front of them, they were making the wrong passes. The second half was difficult to watch because of this abysmal passing. Steve Bruce surely made note of all the wasted passes in the middle of the park and will look to resolve this issue in training this week.

• The team’s key players failed to show up. Aside from Allan Saint-Maximin and DeAndre Yedlin, no one else really stepped up to perform at an elite level. The performances of Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Miguel Almiron and Sean Longstaff can all be described as mediocre. In order for Newcastle United to steal points on the road against superior opponents, the aforementioned players need to be at their best.