Newcastle endured another difficult evening at Stamford Bridge on Monday night, with the Magpies falling to a 2-0 defeat against Chelsea which saw them remain just above the bottom three.
Steve Bruce’s side headed into the game hoping to continue their recent upturn in form in the Premier League, having secured wins at Everton and at home against Southampton either side of a defeat against Crystal Palace. However, they were unable to contain Chelsea’s quality in the final third, having predictably been forced onto the back foot for most of the contest at Stamford Bridge.
The Magpies’ chances of getting anything from the game were not helped by the injury issues they are facing at the moment, with influential top scorer Callum Wilson ruled out for up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury. However, that does not excuse the lack of urgency in the first half in particular, and it was a performance nowhere near good enough to get a result.
The defeat leaves the Magpies in 17th place in the Premier League table and they are now only seven points clear of Fulham, who have a game in hand. It also means that, despite the recent improvements, Bruce’s side have now suffered seven defeats in their last nine league matches. That remains a major concern, with more difficult fixtures to come over the next few weeks, and the threat of relegation is not unthinkable.
Here is how we rated the Newcastle players in their defeat at Chelsea…
