Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea: Player Ratings
Everything seemed to be going according to plan for Steve McClaren’s side as they led 2-0 against Chelsea. Ayoze Perez had given them the lead in the 42nd minute before Georginio Wijnaldum doubled their lead soon after.
Chelsea were staring at their 4th defeat of the season before the introduction of midfielders Ramires and Willian changed the context of the game. Ramires managed to pull one back for the Blues with a belter of a shot in the 79th minute before Willian equalized five minutes later with a free-kick leading to the Blues snatching a point from the jaws of defeat.
More: Highlights and 5 Talking Points – Newcastle 2-2 Chelsea
Newcastle
Tim Krul – 5.5/10
The Dutch keeper had a largely untroubled first half before having to step his game up later on in the game with a string of decent saves as Chelsea launched a barrage of attacks to try and get back into the game.
Darryl Janmaat – 6/10
A great performance from the Dutch left-back especially while pushing forward. He combined well with Sissokho on the left to create problems for Chelsea. He had a much better game on the defensive side as well, chipping in with strong challenges to break up attacks from Hazard and Fabregas. However, he fell away during the second half and was largely absent at the back which contributed to Chelsea’s miraculous turnaround.
Chancel Mbemba – 6/10
A good performance from the Newcastle centre-back. Strong at the back, the Newcastle man stood tall in his battle with Loic Remy and Falcao coming out for the better for the majority of their exchanges.
Fabricio Coloccini – 7/10
A massive improvement from his performance against Watford last weekend, the Newcastle captain was the leader his side needed. Ever-present at the back, the Argentinean centre-back marshalled his defence well and managed to sniff out the majority of Chelsea’s advances with relative ease.
Kevin Mbabu – 6.5/10
Only 20, the Swiss right-back did commit a few schoolboy errors that one would expect of someone his age – he was caught over-committing while pushing ahead occasionally and shirking his defensive duties from time to time. However, while his defensive game wasn’t exactly noteworthy, his efforts while pushing ahead certainly were.
His surging runs and relentless pursuit of the ball while going ahead led to Ivanovic having one of his more uncomfortable evenings in a Chelsea shirt. He vastly improved on his defensive duties in the second half and left little for Pedro to use on the right flank.
Moussa Sissoko – 6/10
While we weren’t able to witness his characteristic surging runs while pushing ahead in the game, he still managed to put in a good shift for the Magpies. Tracking back to help Janmaat when he could, Sissoko still managed to trouble Azpilicueta while pushing ahead from time to time – characterized by his assist for Ayoze Perez’s goal in the first half.
Jack Colback – 5/10
An uncharacteristically poor performance from the Sunderland man saw him give away a cheap foul early in the first half that nearly resulted in a Chelsea goal. Clumsy on the ball, Colback, unfortunately, picked up an injury in the first half and was hauled off with Gabriel Obertan coming on.
Vurnon Anita – 6.5/10
The unsung hero for Newcastle in the heart of their midfield, Anita was Newcastle’s answer to Nemanja Matic. Breaking up plays tidily in the middle of the pitch and deftly starting plays from the back, Anita was at the heart of every Newcastle attack and more than compensated for Colback’s lack of involvement at the heart of the pitch. His methodical approach to controlling Chelsea in the middle of the pitch was vital in Newcastle’s dominance over the Blues in the first half.
Georginio Wijnaldum – 6/10
While the Dutchman didn’t contribute much from open play and was surprisingly sedated while going ahead, he did put in his shift defensively, helping his back four when he could. It was also his goal that managed to give Newcastle that vital two-goal cushion that allowed them the freedom to play more openly.
Ayoze Perez – 6.5/10
Another good performance from the Newcastle forward which saw him score the first goal of the game with a brilliant finish before assisting Wijnaldum for the second from a corner. Always a threat while going forward, Perez often tracked back too to make sure the Magpies didn’t surrender the lead that they had tried so hard to create.
Aleksander Mitrovic – 6/10
While he may have gotten more of the ball that in other games, Mitrovic still didn’t receive as much of it as he would have liked. However, he still managed to constantly win fouls for the Magpies in good positions and track back routinely to help out at the back.
Substitutes
Gabriel Obertan – 5/10
The Frenchman was brought on for the underperforming Jack Colback and was expected to inject some much-needed pace into the Newcastle side. However, sadly for the Magpies, he failed to create much with his time on the ball.
Siem De Jong – N/A
Ivan Toney – N/A