Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce believes that his side’s next batch of fixtures are less daunting than the difficult start that was handed to the Magpies.
A single goal from Marcos Alonso settled it at Stamford Bridge after a tight affair in the capital.
United face Wolverhampton Wanderers next weekend before a trip to inconsistent West Ham.
Bruce said: “We’ve had a really difficult start in terms of who we’ve played – we’ve played Tottenham, Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal and now Chelsea. We’ve been away to Leicester – we’ve had a really tough start.
“We’ve now got a run of games where, with no disrespect, we’re going to be playing the teams that are going to be in and around us.
“It’s a vitally important time and we’ll look forward to it.”
Bruce felt his side looked fatigued in the second half after pushing Chelsea hard in the opening 45 minutes.
He added: “I thought in the first half, we showed enough quality.
“Second half, we struggled and tired a bit.
“The way they went about their job, and their effort and commitment, I couldn’t have faulted.
“I thought we looked as threat on the break, and if we can be a bit more careful with the final pass, then of course the big thing is we have to find some goals.
“But certainly in the first half in particular, we looked a threat.”
