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3 months ago
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Eddie Howe watched on as his Newcastle United team lost at Stamford Bridge.
Monday night’s match was a strange one, with both teams repeatedly gifting possession to the opposition.
The final scoreline 3-2 to Chelsea and a feeling that Newcastle had let the home side off the hook.
As Mauricio Pochettino and his players looked very nervous as the match kicked off, yet Botman cleared a ball only to the edge of the box and then Dubravka make a woeful attempt at what should have been an easy save as the ball slowly went past him two or three yards inside the post. A total gift and confidence booster for Chelsea after only six minutes.
Then the other two goals Chelsea scored, could and should have been better defended as well.
Eddie Howe delivering his verdict and not shying away from the fact that his team have to do far better, especially when it comes to defending as a team and individually cutting out mistakes.
Eddie Howe reflects on Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2:
“It was a game that was in the balance, in the first half and the second half.
“I don’t think there was a lot between the two teams and it was quite an open game.
“But the game got away from us really with the goals we conceded, which were really poor from our perspective.
“They weren’t necessarily coming, sometimes you can feel a goal coming against you away from home when you’re under pressure, but I didn’t feel we were.
“They were self-induced mistakes from us.
“A strange game, frustrating one for us because we started well and conceded with their first attack.
“I don’t think it was a game with a lot of chances but it was a high scoring game.
“We were good in spells, but obviously not good enough overall, because the goals we conceded were really poor.
“I don’t think we had a problem with the overall flow of the game.
“We were competitive and creative, the final ball was maybe not good enough today, we had a lot of opportunities to test their back four.
“All three [Chelsea] goals were similar in their characteristics.
“We didn’t defend those situations well enough and you’re going to lose games if you do that.
“It is a familiar feeling from the last few months for us on the road.
“It has been a tough spell for us and this game epitomised that for us.
“We were good but overall you’re left feeling disappointed because we know we can defend better than that.
“Our form over a long period of time hasn’t been what we want it to be, or as consistent as it needs to be to get into Europe.
“I feel like it’s gradually coming back but we’re still hurting ourselves by not being complete in our performances.”
Eddie Howe on Tino Livramento:
“He was very good tonight.
“Especially in the first half he was an attacking threat.
“Tino did very well when he went to the left side, as we were chasing the game.
“A good performance from him.”
Eddie Howe on Harvey Barnes who was missing from the matchday squad:
“Against Wolves when he came on, Harvey just felt a hamstring tightness.
“We have scanned the area and don’t think it’s bad.
“But it was enough to keep him out [against Chelsea] and probably against Manchester City.”
Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon who was forced off through injury:
“I can’t add much to it other than it was a knee injury.
“It was strange as no mechanism or moment when he felt it, it was just there in the game according to Anthony at half-time, when he was in quite a bit of pain.
“So we don’t know how bad that is.”
Stats via BBC Sport:
Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2 – Monday 11 March 8pm:
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Isak 43, Murphy 90
Chelsea:
Jackson 6, Palmer 57, Mudryk 76
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Chelsea 45% (42%) Newcastle 55% (58%)
Total shots were Chelsea 12 (7) Newcastle 11 (5)
Shots on target were Chelsea 8 (4) Newcastle 3 (1)
Corners were Chelsea 0 (0) Newcastle 4 (1)
Referee: John Brooks
Newcastle team v Chelsea:
Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Botman, Burn (Krafth 69), Longstaff, Bruno (White 81), Willock (Miley 80), Almiron (Anderson 69), Gordon (Murphy 36), Isak
Unused subs:
Karius, Lascelles, Ritchie, Targett
(Doesn’t sound good on Anthony Gordon – Read HERE)
(Watch official Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2 match highlights HERE – All 5 goals and how did that go in?)
(Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)
(Chelsea 3 Newcastle 2 – Instant Newcastle United fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)
Newcastle United confirmed matches to mid-April 2024:
Saturday 16 March 2024 – Man City v Newcastle (5.30pm) BBC1
Saturday 30 March 2024 – Newcastle v West Ham (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Tuesday 2 April 2024 – Newcastle v Everton (7.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 6 April 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)
Saturday 13 April 2024 – Newcastle v Spurs (12.30pm) TNT Sports

 
