I would imagine that Steve McClaren would have gnawed your hand off at the wrist if you’d offered him a score draw before kick-off, and his Newcastle team, and particularly his summer signings, were much improved. That said, they had the game in the bag with fifteen minutes to go, and ended up holding out desperately for a draw.
That was because Chelsea, shiftless and frustrated, dug themselves out of a hole after Mourinho made the surprising decision to switch Oscar for Ramires, who scored one and scrambled Tim Krul’s brain for Willian’s equaliser. The Chelsea boss shouldn’t feel too pleased with himself, though – his team conceded two more sloppy goals, and remain mired in the bottom half of the table.
Relentless excitement, unpredictable entertainment, dreadful defending – this one ticked all the Premier League boxes. I’ll leave you with Paul Wilson’s match report. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
Updated
Full-time: Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea
Martin Atkinson blows his whistle, and a highly entertaining affair ends with a draw that is somehow both good and bad for both teams.
96 mins: Chelsea win the ball back and push forward one more time. The anxiety is audible, but the hosts scramble it away, and Pedro is booked for a late lunge on Coloccini.
94 mins: Play restarts, and with St. James’ Park expectant, Obertan and Pérez take a short corner, and keep the ball in the corner. I know they have a point in hand, but given that they’ve scored from a corner and a cross, it’s pretty pathetic not to swing a final ball in.
92 mins: Obertan races down the right-hand touchline, and wins a corner. There’s a lengthy delay as De Jong receives treatment, with the substitute nursing a sore head after a collision with Ramires. He really has had no luck in his Newcastle career.
91 mins: Substitution for Newcastle, with Siem de Jong coming on for Sissoko, who jogs briskly to the touchline, earning a rebuke from an apoplectic McClaren.
90 mins: Four added minutes. Fábregas, his head bandaged after an earlier collision, looks for Falcao with the long ball, but the increasingly skittish Coloccini gets his head to it first.
88 mins: Another free-kick given away by Sissoko, another long-distance ball in from Willian, and this time Ramires does get a head on it, but Krul saves! Newcastle are clinging on for the point now, as Ramires has proved to be an unexpected game-changer.
Updated
86 mins: Chelsea are going nowhere in the middle of the field, but Sissoko gives away a sloppy, perhaps slightly harsh free-kick some thirty yards out. Willian bends the ball in, and with Ramires lunging across his line of sight, Krul lets it straight past him, and into the net!
Updated
GOAL! Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea (Willian)
Oh, Newcastle.
84 mins: McClaren springs a surprise, bringing on Ivan Toney, who wasn’t on the original team sheet, for Mitrovic, who gets a standing ovation.
83 mins: Pedro is set free down the right – Mbabu gets grief from the commentators for losing his man, but it’s Mbemba in the middle who’s playing him onside – and is one-on-one with Krul from a routine clearance. He even has Falcao available in the middle, but blazes the ball over the bar. Chelsea really should be level.
81 mins: Chelsea have renewed hope, and Hazard slaloms through the home defence, lining up an angled shot – but Mbemba throws himself in the way of it.
“Can we agree that Chelsea had some concerted plan to wind up Mitrovic?” offers Graham Pitts. “Matic and Ivanovic in particular looked to be trying to get a reaction out of their compatriot”.
I would say yes they have, I would probably do the same, and it hasn’t worked at all.
79 mins: I’m not sure what Mourinho’s plan was when replacing Oscar with Ramires, but it has certainly worked. The Chelsea boss is actually laughing on the bench.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-1 Chelsea (Ramires)
An absolute rocket from Ramires has reignited this game. Zouma pumped a long diagonal to Hazard, who skipped away from Janmaat too easily and squared to the Brazilian. 25 yards out, he takes a touch and unleashes a shot into Krul’s top corner!
Updated
75 mins: Hazard perseveres down the right touchline, and is bundled over by Mbabu, but Atkinson doesn’t spot it, adding fuel to Mourinho’s post-game fire. For what it’s worth, neither of the marginal decisions in the build-up to the Wijnaldum goal were especially shocking, and Chelsea can’t argue they deserve a whole lot from this match.
73 mins: Falcao is offside from a right-sided cross, but wants to smash the ball in anyway. Tim Krul denies him, to the delight of the home faithful. “Not going smoothly for the smooth operator” coos Martin Tyler as the camera focuses on a fed up Mourinho. In what way has Mourinho operated smoothly this season?
72 mins: Oscar gets a rare yard of space in the Newcastle area, but bends his shot wide of the far post. Mourinho responds by hooking the Brazilian, replacing him with Ramires.
70 mins: Mbabu outmuscles Pedro, delays his pass and draws the foul from his frustrated opponent. The debutant has been tough, disciplined and composed throughout today; he’ll never cut it as a Premier League defender.
68 mins: Chelsea force a corner, but Newcastle are again first to the ball, and as it breaks to Pérez, the striker gets into the spirit of the Rugby World Cup, hoofing a textbook long kick down into the corner.
66 mins: A lull of sorts, as Chelsea try to get something, anything, going. Ivanovic loses his cool with the Machavellian Mitrovic, swinging a boot that clips his opponent on the shoulder, then having an angry word with his prone countryman. He’s booked.
64 mins: Apologies for any gremlins you’re seeing with the scorelines and stats. We’re having some issues with our data provider. Newcastle ARE 2-0 up though. That actually is happening.
62 mins: Mitrovic is at it again, holding the ball up in his own half as Zouma hacks wildly at his shins to win the free-kick. It’s been quite the transformation from him, although he does get penalised for a push on Cahill further downfield.
61 mins: This is extraordinary, as Newcastle benefit from more poor defending to double their lead, after 15 minutes camped in their own half. Chelsea make a double change, as Willian and Falcao replace Rémy and Matic.
GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Chelsea (Wijnaldum)
...and from it, Wijnaldum escapes the minimal attentions of Fàbregas, and flicks a header inside the far post!
Updated
58 mins: Mbabu breaks up the play on the edge of his own area, dispossessing Hazard, to howls from the Chelsea players. Atkinson isn’t interested, and Newcastle launch another break, winning a debatable corner. It’s cleared, but Pérez does well to force another, levering the ball off Oscar’s shins...
Updated
57 mins: Wijnaldum, who has shifted into a central position with Obertan occupying the left wing, tries to find the substitute with a through ball, but it’s overhit and runs through to Begovic. Newcastle will need to make these counter attacks last more than a few seconds if they’re to see this out.
56 mins: More exceptional defensive work, this time from Moussa Sissoko, who gets back to break up the latest stuttering Chelsea move. 85% possession for the visitors so far in this half, but still 0% of the goals.
Updated
54 mins: Mbabu nods away a Chelsea corner, and Newcastle break, with Mitrovic setting up Pérez, who has Obertan racing away down the left, but stalls and surrenders possession.
53 mins: Colback’s race is finally run, as the midfielder is replaced by Obertan.
51 mins: Mitrovic has been a regular Diego Costa today, holding his ground and winning free-kicks from irritated opponents. At the other end, Rémy, whose job it is to deputise for Costa, heads well over from an Oscar cross.
50 mins: Ivanovic has another go, from ten yards further back on the right side, and finds Rémy unmarked in the middle. His header is brilliantly repelled by Krul, but the striker is offside. Rémy looks relieved, Krul annoyed.
48 mins: Chelsea on the front foot, with Ivanovic belting a cross over team-mates stationed in the middle. Hazard collects, and feeds the ball to Pedro, who bobs and weaves around the area, but can’t find a killer pass.
47 mins: The visitors push upfield in the early stages, with Fàbregas and Matic stationed deep in Newcastle territory. Chelsea will fall to 16th (!) with a loss, with the hosts rocketing up to 18th. Look, it’s been a slow start.
46 mins: No changes at half-time, with Colback continuing. Not a vast array of options on either bench, save perhaps for Willian, who is available again after an injury.
Updated
Peep!
The floodlights are on, and a big second half is under way.
This has been vintage 2015-16 Premier League stuff so far – dramatic, full-blooded, a touch short on quality, and with another surprise scoreline. Steve McClaren, who spent the first half mucking about with a tiny tactics board, is 45 minutes from his first Premier League win since April 2006.
Half-time: Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea
The home crowd give their team a huge ovation as the half-time whistle goes, and they’ve earned it with a committed first half performance. Every player has earned their corn, which is more than can be said for Chelsea, who have suffered with defensive difficulties and attacking indifference. Plenty of time for the hosts to stuff this up, of course.
45 mins: Fábregas lets fly with another dangerous long-range effort, this one skidding just over the bar from 25 yards out. When Cesc is your biggest attacking threat, you have problems. José Mourinho has some work to do in the dressing room at half-time, which is two added minutes away.
43 mins: Newcastle players are still throwing themselves into every challenge. The atmosphere inside St. James’ Park is electric. Yes, you read that correctly.
41 mins: Anita launches a cross from deep, close to the right touchline, and last week’s hero, Kurt Zouma, doesn’t bother to head the ball away, leaving it for Ivanovic, who does likewise. Pérez still has work to do, but takes the ball down and volleys it clinically in off Begovic’s near post. The hosts lead, and deservedly so.
Updated
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea (Pérez)
Dreadful Chelsea defending klaxon, as Pérez sneaks between Ivanovic and Zouma to give the hosts the lead!
Updated
39 mins: Chelsea win a couple of corners in succession, and from the second, Cahill’s backheeled flick strikes Sissoko on the arm. There’s a big appeal from those in blue, but replays show the arm was by the side, and the ball shot at Sissoko at a rate. Chelsea gaining a bit of traction in the hosts’ half, but Mbabu ends the danger with an excellent tackle on Pedro and an efficient clearance upfield.
37 mins: There’s a feelgood vibe in the air, with the home crowd buoyed by Newcastle’s efforts in the first half. Mbemba gets carried away though, venturing deep into opposition territory but passing the ball straight to Matic, who sprints upfield and squares the ball to Fábregas. From well outside the area, he stings Krul’s palms with a swerving shot.
35 mins: It’s not been five star, but it’s certainly been competitive, and play swings from one end to the other again here. Janmaat bursts forward, but his shot is blocked, and the clearance finds Rémy on the left, but his low cross is a long way ahead of the onrushing Oscar.
33 mins: Colback marks his return to the fray by tripping Oscar over, picking up a textbook booking (textbooking?) to stop a Chelsea break. As Atkinson reached for the yellow card, Colback said “but that’s the first one”, apparently making up his own rules.
Updated
31 mins: Bad news for Newcastle, with Colback picking up an injury. With a lack of central midfielders on the bench, Gabriel Obertan is readying himself. That would mean Sissoko, or possibly Wijnaldum, dropping into the central area. Oh hang on... Colback is continuing, and Obertan has his bib back on. Watch this space.
29 mins: Not for the first time this season, the Fábregas-Matic shield is almost entirely absent, with Newcastle able to snaffle the ball and pour forward. Sissoko gets into space on the right again, but his cross is too quick for Mitrovic, and rolls away for a goal kick.
Updated
28 mins: Newcastle are knocking, with Janmaat bursting forward and playing a defence-splitting ball into Pérez’s path. The striker does much better this time, firing on goal from an angle, but Begovic parries. Sissoko picks up the rebound and finds Janmaat with a low cross – but his shot lacks power, and is held by the Chelsea keeper.
26 mins: Colback snaps at Fábregas’s heels, winning the ball and setting up another counter-attack. Pérez has the ball 25 yards out, with Sissoko in space on the right, but takes a frantic swipe at goal that slithers well wide.
24 mins: Plenty of full-blooded tackles flying in, but Atkinson is being lenient, rather than grinding down, or Mike Deaning, the flow of the game. Pedro tries to thread a pass from inside the D, but the all-action Wijnaldum sprints back to rob him of the ball.
22 mins: Mbabu brings down the largely anonymous Pedro on the right touchline, but escapes a booking. Speaking of Mbabu, here’s Shaun Wilkinson:
“Mbabu shouldn’t feel much pressure here. Firstly, nobody expects Newcastle to do anything, and without wishing to tempt fate, he can’t be any worse than Massadio Haidara.”
20 mins: Pérez and Mitrovic are working hard up front, and the former tees up the latter on the edge of the area, but he’s dispossessed by Ivanovic. The home crowd appreciate his efforts, at least.
18 mins: Chelsea’s attacks are largely petering out as soon as they reach the final third, and Hazard is buzzing from left to right in search of an opening. Oscar tries to slip a pass through to him on the left of the area, but Mbemba shows composure to muscle him cleanly out of the way.
16 mins: Newcastle have had the lion’s share of possession, and enjoy a couple of quickfire half-chances, with Wijnaldum crossing from the left and Mitrovic heading over, before Sissoko cuts in from the right, collects the ball from Pérez and fires a daisy-cutter five feet wide of Begovic’s far post.
Updated
14 mins: Janmaat jumps into a challenge with Hazard, and as he tumbles, a stray elbow catches the Belgian in the bread basket. Hazard winces, as well you might, but no suggestion that was anything more than an unfortunate accident.
13 mins: A Newcastle foray into the Chelsea half ends with the ball breaking to Mbabu, who lines up a shot from 30 yards that dribbles into Begovic’s arms, and loses his hairband to boot. With the exception of Chancel Mbemba, this Newcastle back five could make a pretty convincing hair metal line-up.
11 mins: After Newcastle’s early endeavour, Chelsea should be a goal up. Ivanovic is able to get to the byline with ease, and his cut back finds Rémy eight yards out and unmarked – but his snapshot flies wide of Krul’s near post!
10 mins: Pérez gets into space, and rolls the ball into Wijnaldum, who has again moved into a central area. He dallies on the ball though, and Fábregas dispossesses him, despite the crowd urging him to shoot. He must have assumed they were booing him.
9 mins: Colback is on hand again, cutting out a lazy pass from Fábregas and teeing up a counter-attack, but the home side are struggling to get the required numbers forward in the early stages, and Sissoko, stationed on the right of midfield, is crowded out.
Updated
7 mins: After Oscar fouls his fellow No8 Anita, Wijnaldum cuts in from the left, Mbabu overlaps and the ball is worked to Pérez... who clatters the ball into Martin Atkinson. Chelsea recover possession, and stroke the ball around their defence.
5 mins: Colback, whose presence in midfield was so essential that McClaren turned to Mbabu at left-back, shows his value by hassling Oscar all the way down the touchline, winning the ball in stages from the Brazilian.
4 mins: Oof! With Chelsea’s creative talents in attendance, Kurt Zouma smashes the free-kick at goal from 35 yards, and it whistles a couple of feet past Krul’s right-hand post.
Updated
3 mins: Enthusiastic, uncontrolled stuff from both teams, but Hazard finds Matic with a backheel, and the holding midfielder bundles forward, before being upended by Colback. Free kick, central but a fair way out...
1 min: Rémy, formerly of this parish, gets roundly booed as he picks up the ball on the left. Aleksandar Mitrovic is penalised for a clumsy challenge on Cahill, which forces the centre-back’s right boot off his foot. No cards... yet.
Peep!
Martin Atkinson gets the party started.
The players are out and shaking hands, so there’s just time to point you in the direction of this, from Martin Hardy, on Newcastle’s 1995 vintage, who went top of the league twenty years ago this week with a 2-0 win over, yes, you guessed it, Chelsea.
Ten minutes until we get our fix of Saturday night football. Who’s excited? Here’s some music.
Time for José Mourinho, speaking ahead of a fixture he’s never won as Chelsea manager in five attempts. “They don’t play better than us, they don’t dominate games, but for some reason, they always score one more goal than us”, he says, sounding a tiny bit bitter.
Steve McClaren has been giving his pre-match thoughts, and says last season’s 2-1 win over Chelsea “gives them a bit of belief”. He wants “spirit, fight, 95 minutes” from his players, he adds in that curious, still-doing-the-Dutch-accent-a-bit style of his.
On Mbabu, he wants the debutant to “come in and show himself” alongside Janmaat, Mbemba and Coloccini, who he says are “doing well together”. Hmm.
Updated
It’s already been another wild and wacky day in the Premier League, with Tottenham giving Manchester City a shoeing at the Lane, and 26 goals in the six 3pm games, which Tom Davies covered with aplomb this afternoon.
Steve McClaren makes three changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Watford. Papiss Cissé, who injured himself attempting an overhead kick (it never rains, but it pours) is replaced by Aleksandar Mitrovic, returning from suspension. Vernon Anita is preferred to the flaky Florian Thauvin, and with Massaido Haidara injured, there’s a first Newcastle start for Kevin Mbabu at left-back.
For Chelsea, there’s just the one enforced change from the 2-0 win over Arsenal, with Loïc Rémy given the nod ahead of Falcao to replace Diego Costa who is, of course, on the naughty step for a while. Oscar, Eden Hazard and Pedro play in an attacking midfield trio behind Rémy, and will enjoy giving Mbabu a Premier League initiation.
Updated
Team news
Newcastle: Krul; Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Mbabu; Sissoko, Anita, Colback, Wijnaldum; Pérez, Mitrovic.
Subs: Williamson, De Jong, Obertan, Lascelles, Thauvin, Elliot, Marveaux.
Chelsea: Begovic; Ivanovic, Cahill, Zouma, Azpilicueta; Fàbregas, Matic, Pedro, Oscar, Hazard; Rémy.
Subs: Ramires, Falcao, Mikel, Kenedy, Willian, Terry, Blackman.
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Updated
Preamble
Hello. The life of a football manager is often nasty, brutish and short, and even the successful can end up circling the drain in pursuit of perfection. Brian Clough tanked so badly at Leeds they made a film out of it, Fabio Capello is currently unemployed, and even the totemic Sir Alex Ferguson has Sergio Agüero, Egil Ostenstad and Eric Djemba-Djemba filling his head once it hits the pillow.
Football managers are doomed to fail sooner or later, and end up trapped within the Kübler-Ross model trying to accept it – from Louis van Gaal’s folder-flapping denial to Manuel Pellegrini’s scarlet-eyed resignation. José Mourinho, his magic wand bent out of shape by Real Madrid, is stuck in a rage spiral not even a third Premier League could salve, firing jealous barbs at Arsène Wenger now Eva Carneiro is out of earshot.
Steve McClaren’s coaching career has been a success by anyone’s standards; after collecting pots as Ferguson’s right-hand man, he has won a league title, a domestic cup, reached a continental final and managed his country. He also once stood under an umbrella, and that is how he will always be remembered. McClaren’s demeanour at winless Newcastle is at the end of the scale, a weary, worrying defeatism that’s more Gil Gunderson than Alex Ferguson.
Defeat for either team tonight could render this season’s lofty ambitions redundant, and might be enough to finally push either manager into an existential tailspin. You won’t want to miss it. Kick off is at 5.30pm, team news to follow.
Updated
