Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Tonali and Guimaraes strike in a crucial victory

Newcastle United claimed a crucial three points with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, boosting their Champions League ambitions.

Newcastle swiftly took control of the match as Sandro Tonali hit the back of the Blues net inside two minutes, and while that was the only goal of the first half, the action did not stop there, with Chelsea further disadvantaged when Nicolas Jackson saw red for striking Sven Botman with his forearm.

Despite being a man down, Chelsea were the better side from the second half kick off, showing more attacking intent than they did for most of the first 45 minutes, but the Blues were ultimately unable to find the equaliser and the game was ended when Bruno Guimaraes scored Newcastle’s second in the final minutes.

SPORTS MOLE’S VERDICT

© Imago

Newcastle’s shift to a back five certainly proved a correct decision from Eddie Howe, as Chelsea were rarely able to break down the formidable Magpies defensive line.

It was also productive in the final third, with several promising attacking moves coming about after clever combinations from the forward and wide players.

NEWCASTLE UNITED VS. CHELSEA HIGHLIGHTS

Sandro Tonali goal vs. Chelsea (2nd min, Newcastle United 1-0 Chelsea)

Advantage Newcastle, Tonali inside two minutes!

Tonali applies pressure and wins the ball back just outside the Chelsea penalty area and switches it out wide to Jacob Murphy on the right wing.

Murphy swings in a first-time cross toward the back post, where Tonali arrives to strike into the ground, sending the ball bouncing over the helpless Robert Sanchez.

36th min: Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) Red Card

Chelsea are reduced to 10 men as Jackson is shown a red card and sent off!

The striker looks to challenge for a long ball forward, takes a look at Botman and bundles into the central defender, with his forearm striking Botman in the face.

A brief VAR check ends in the referee cancelling the original yellow card and handing Jackson a straight red – the striker will now miss the rest of the season.

Bruno Guimaraes goal vs. Chelsea (91st min, Newcastle United 2-0 Chelsea)

Game over, Guimaraes adds a second!

Guimaraes receives the ball just outside the Chelsea penalty area and cuts onto his right foot to unleash a shot toward goal.

The midfielder’s effort takes a deflection that sends the ball looping over Sanchez and into the far right corner.

MAN OF THE MATCH – JACOB MURPHY

Murphy played most of the match in an unfamiliar right-wing-back role for Newcastle, but he was still able to produce a fantastic attacking performance while showcasing strong defensive ability on several occasions.

Murphy took his goal contributions for the season to 19 with another assist, picking out Tonali at the back post with a lovely first-time cross, while also creating three chances throughout the game.

Multiple other Newcastle players could have been given the award, with the Magpies clearly the better side for much of the match, but Murphy was the standout choice.

NEWCASTLE UNITED VS. CHELSEA MATCH STATS

Possession: Newcastle United 45%-55% Chelsea
Shots: Newcastle United 15-10 Chelsea
Shots on target: Newcastle United 6-3 Chelsea
Corners: Newcastle United 2-8 Chelsea
Fouls: Newcastle United 9-13 Chelsea

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Next up for Newcastle in their pursuit of a Champions League spot are crucial matches against Arsenal and Everton, with the latter set for the final day of the season.

As for Chelsea, the Blues will face Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, followed by a clash with Real Betis in the Conference League final.

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