Chelsea: The Blues’ successful weekend through multiple lenses

Chelsea’s comfortable win over Newcastle United was not the only blue touch paper lit across this weekend’s Premier League fixtures.

Chelsea celebrated its trip up-north with three points, a brief period at the top of the table and another clean sheet. This weekend’s results surely satisfied Frank Lampard and his traveling troop. Obviously, this will have grasped the attention of the club’s closet contingent. However, if they were to scan their blue-tinted magnifying glass across the rest of the Premier League, Chelsea’s influence has spread further than the confines of St James’ Park.

Jose Mourinho rarely requires an introduction when Chelsea is concerned, nor when he is pitted against Pep Guardiola. The pair met for a 24th time in a mouthwatering encounter between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur a few hours after the conclusion on the Blues’ match. Mourinho prevailed over his old foe with a typical dogged, determined and well-drilled display that saw Spurs finish 2-0 victors in London. They then climbed above Chelsea to the division’s summit.

Another of the Blues’ former bosses was also congratulating himself in the capital, just a stone’s throw away from Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti and Everton ended their poor run of results by narrowly beating Fulham at Craven Cottage; the hosts headed by Scott Parker, who was part of Mourinho’s masterful 2004/05 Chelsea campaign.

Although it was eventually sweet for the Toffees, Fulham fought to ensure a sticky final flourish. None more so than from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Chelsea loanee having a decent impact after coming off the bench with plenty to prove to his parent employees. Having drifted into the box, his neat touch and turn attracted a foul from Ben Godfrey to earn his side a spot-kick. Ivan Cavaleiro duly skewed his effort over the bar to repeat Fulham’s woes from 12 yards. Yet, Loftus-Cheek continued to contribute by finishing a fine move via a reflection, scoring his first goal in all competitions since last May.

Whilst we are on the subject of penalty peril, Manchester United’s match versus West Bromwich Albion was inevitably full of it. David Coote played the pantomime villain at the Theatre of Dreams, controversially overturning his original decision after Conor Gallagher was seemingly fouled inside the area. After the VAR devils whispered into his ear, Coote consulted the monitor of doom and saw nothing untoward. Gallagher’s confusion was completely justified, and as a graduate of the Chelsea academy, he would’ve wanted nothing more than to scalp United on their own turf. Despite this, the 20-year-old played confidently and seems a good fit in Slaven Bilic’s midfield.  The Reds were saved from the spot in equally mystifying circumstances, Bruno Fernandes taking two bites at the cherry after Sam Johnstone saved his initial shot illegally.

Wavering fortunes were also in abundance at Villa Park as Brighton & Hove Albion returned to the coast with a treasure chest of its own. 2-1 it finished for the visitors, but it was not all plain sailing for the Seagulls. Tariq Lamptey had a lively afternoon that will please the powers that be at Chelsea who allowed him to leave in the summer. His energetic individual performance was marred by the red card he received in additional time, having picked up a yellow earlier on. Aston Villa lost Ross Barkley even sooner in the game, the on-loan Blue forced to departure after five minutes through a suspected hamstring injury.

Ethan Ampadu and Declan Rice locked horns on Sunday with Sheffield United and West Ham respectively, the latter ending the happier as the Hammers won 1-0. Willian was dragged off at half-time in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Leeds United, the Brazilian becoming a cracked version of the man they acquired from Chelsea in August.