Cole Palmer registered a goal and an assist as Chelsea boosted their hopes of European qualification with an entertaining 3-2 win over Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Nicolas Jackson improvised to flick Palmer’s scuffed effort home early on, but Palmer’s second-half strike was his all his own work as he found a pocket of space from which to rifle home shortly before the hour mark.
Alexander Isak had earlier put Newcastle on level terms with a long-range finish of his own, but the Magpies produced another ragged defensive performance and went 3-1 down when substitute Mykhailo Mudryk scored a fine solo goal with 14 minutes remaining.
Jacob Murphy’s rasping drive teed up a grandstand finish, but Chelsea clung on to ease the pressure on boss Mauricio Pochettino and move within one point of their visitors in the Premier League table.
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Determined to make up ground on their visitors, Chelsea flew out of the traps and needed just six minutes to take the lead. Palmer’s tame, right-footed effort was drifting wide, but Jackson adjusted to backheel it into the bottom-left corner.
Newcastle then suffered a major blow when Anthony Gordon limped out of the contest with an apparent knee injury, before Joe Willock turned Miguel Almiron’s cross over from close range.
The Magpies struggled to turn possession into chances for much of the first half, but they drew level out of nowhere with 43 minutes gone. After a scrappy phase of play, Isak took in Bruno Guimaraes’ pass before bending a lovely 25-yard finish beyond the dive of Djordje Petrovic.
Newcastle survived a big scare on the stroke of half-time as Jackson was flagged offside when racing through to finish, put Chelsea did re-establish their lead 12 minutes after the restart.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) MARCH 11, 2024
Turning on Enzo Fernandez’s pass on the edge of the box, Palmer lashed a fine finish into the bottom-right corner, giving the unsighted Martin Dubravka no chance.
Chelsea should have had a third moments later as Raheem Sterling saw a shot blocked by Dan Burn on the goal line, but they did establish breathing space when Mudryk danced through the Newcastle defence and rounded Dubravka to finish.
Newcastle got back within one as the game entered six minutes of stoppage time, Murphy beating Petrovic at his near post with a brilliant strike, but Eddie Howe’s men were ultimately unable to force a leveller.
In a flash. ⚡️#CFC | #CHENEW PIC.TWITTER.COM/2AJEBRO8Y6
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) MARCH 11, 2024
