Newcastle 4-1 Chelsea: 3 Blues talking points

Chelsea struggle with low-blocks

It’s no secret that the Blues have encountered numerous difficulties breaking down teams that sit back. Games against Newcastle, Brentford, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest, to name a few, have presented glaring problems for the Chelsea team. It’s almost laughable that a team fresh from a transfer window spending spree would struggle so badly week in and week out. Counterattacks appear to be this squad’s strong suit, as seen in games against Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool, thanks to their high lines.

While CFC hasn’t lost to those teams, the struggle extends to teams outside the traditional ‘big five,’ including Newcastle, despite being a Champions League side, coming straight from an injury crisis, and just losing to Bournemouth before the international break. The typical Chelsea game pattern involves sideways, backwards, sideways, backwards, an occasional forward pass, and dispossession. It’s so disappointing especially considering us Chelsea fans thought the tides were changing.

Needless fouls cost points

The Blues accumulated a whopping 19 fouls, many of them occurring at unnecessary moments, such as kicking the ball away. It quickly became evident that Newcastle held a significant height advantage, making them more dominant in the air. The backline struggled to mark the Magpies, leading to a missed opportunity from Joelinton in the first half and Lascelles’ goal in the second. Despite the depth of the free-kicks, Newcastle had players like Trippier capable of delivering dangerous balls from various angles.