Newcastle 1-2 Chelsea: Hits and flops from the game
Chelsea pipped Newcastle United 2-1 to maintain their 100% record in the league and stay should-to-shoulder with the likes of Liverpool and Watford in the league ladder. There weren't too many openings in the game, but the final 10 minutes produced some action.
As envisioned by most of the pundits and observers, Chelsea dominated in almost every aspect of the game. Their first-half was summed up with over 425 passes and 78% possession. In contrast, the Magpies only laboured 120 passes together.
Apart from a wide header from Rondon and a sweetly-timed volley from Azpilicueta that ricochet off Morata, there was no major opening in the game for either side.
The second-half got more frustrating for the Blues, who saw almost 90% of the ball. A slice of fortune then helped Newcastle as the frame of the goal denied a venomous long-range effort from Rudiger.
Marcos Alonso then won a penalty that was accurately dispatched by Eden Hazard, who finally rewarded his team's utter dominance with a goal.
The game sprung into life as Joselu provided an unlikely equalizer, which was controversial. DeAndre Yedlin then passed the ball back into his own net to give the visitors the lead. This fortuitous goal was enough for Maurizio Sarri to go back to West London with all three points.
Here are 5 players who experienced mixed outings at St. James' Park:
#5 Best: Jorginho
Jorginho was in the middle of every single passage of play Chelsea had. He did what he does best - sprayed passes all over the pitch, attempted more of 5-6 yard passes, kept it together and tried to create spaces between the opposition's back line.
Defensively, he as lively and sharp. He contributed with tackles and interceptions whilst winning back possession. In addition, he also kept track of any potential counter-attack. In the entirety of the match, the Brazil-born Italian completed over 150 passes.
The Blues were made to work hard for their chances and instead of trying to take long range shots, they went for a patient game instead. In the same process, Jorginho proved to be the heartbeat of the team.