Newcastle United struggled for most of the game against Chelsea, but Steve Bruce’s men managed to steal all three points in the dying moments of the game thanks to a header from Isaac Hayden.
Newcastle United suffered a three-game losing streak a few weeks ago, but have turned things around in a big way with a 1-1 draw away from home against Wolverhampton last weekend and a 1-0 victory over Chelsea today. The fans in St. James’ Park were urging the Magpies to press forward and take some risks as the Blues held on to the ball, but failed to create dangerous chances.
The game was there for the taking and fortunately Isaac Hayden was at the right place at the right time when Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross curled into the box in the 95th minute. Hayden might have scored the winner, but he was not the Man of the Match. That honor belongs to Jamaal Lascelles. Here is how Lascelles and his teammates performed earlier today. (Note: Players who were on the pitch for less than ten minutes were excluded from this list).
Man of the Match
Jamaal Lascelles (8.5/10)
- Lascelles was a true general on the pitch today. The skipper put his body on the line multiple times to minimize the threat of Chelsea’s frequent attacks, and it seemed like Lascelles was involved in every clearance in the back.
Goalkeeper
Martin Dubravka (8/10)
- Dubravka was great between the sticks today as he frustrated Chelsea’s players with some big saves to keep the Toon in the game. The only criticism for Dubravka was his late communication with the back-line regarding balls coming into the box, and some of his clearances were sent right back to Chelsea in the middle of the park.
Defenders
Federico Fernandez (8/10)
- Fernandez put in a solid shift today against a dynamic attacking unit and he held his own ground in most duels. The Argentine defender was involved in the action on both ends of the pitch and he looked comfortable on the ball moving higher up the pitch.
Ciaran Clark (8/10)
- Clark was the most confrontational defender for Newcastle United against Chelsea. Whenever attacking players would run around one Magpie, Clark covered ground quickly to intercept passes and make last second sliding tackles near the goal.
Midfielders
Matt Ritchie (7.5/10)
- Matt Ritchie came on as a wing-back for the injured Jetro Willems early in the game and he did a great job of filling in for the Dutchman out wide. Defensively, Ritchie was constantly trying to shoulder players off the ball and did well to win the ball a few times. Offensively, Ritchie found open lanes to receive the ball and delivered quality crosses into the box.
Jonjo Shelvey (6/10)
- Jonjo Shelvey was expected to orchestrate the Magpies’ attacks from central midfield today, but he kept his passes short, lacked creativity and was slow in reacting to Chelsea’s counter-attacks. Today was not his day.
Isaac Hayden (6.5/10)
- Yes, Isaac Hayden scored the winner, but one good moment cannot override a mediocre shift over the course 90 minutes. Hayden was aggressive and recovered a few balls in midfield, but his overall influence on the game was minimal until he scored in the final seconds of the game.
Emil Krafth (6.5/10)
- It was obvious that Krafth is not a regular starter in this squad, but he did a decent job staying in front of Willian out wide. The Brazilian was too quick for Krafth, but the Swedish international did not make any major errors as a starter today. Had his crosses into the box been better his rating would have been higher.
Forwards
Joelinton (7.5/10)
- Joelinton was full of energy today and he came close to scoring in the first half, but his header struck the bar. The Brazilian did well to hold the ball up at times, despite being isolated, and he won some aerial duels in midfield. His rating would have been an 8, but he wasted a good look at goal late in the second half from 10 feet away.
Miguel Almiron (7.5/10)
- Miguel Almiron did not see much of the ball today, but he did his best to take on defenders and send bodies higher up the pitch. The Paraguayan did not have much success out wide, but, for the most part, he had good vision and found his teammates with some quick passes.
Allan Saint-Maximin (7/10)
- Allan Saint-Maximin struggled to find his rhythm in this game. To his defense, he did not have many opportunities to lead counter-attacks because he rarely had the ball since Newcastle were defensive. His assist to Hayden in the 95th minute was perfect, though, and it gifted his team with three crucial points against an unlikely opponent.
Second Half Substitute
Sean Longstaff (7/10)
- Longstaff came on for Krafth in the 71st minute and his fresh legs helped the team late in the second half. Longstaff was quick to run back and help the defenders behind him, and he did well to swing the ball out wide to give Almiron and Saint-Maximin rare opportunities to press forward.