HARVERTZ SHOOTS DOWN FLYING MAGPIES- CHELSEA HAD A SLENDER WIN AGAINST A SPIRITED NEWCASTLE UNITED AT STAMFORD BRIDGE.
Chelsea had a narrow win against Newcastle at home, thanks to havertz strike at the death of the game.
Despite their off-field issues, one could hardly imagine Chelsea letting their foot off the throttle as they began with a point to prove against an unexpectedly resurgent Newcastle, who were seeking a 10th unbeaten league match on the trot. A confident ‘Blues’ midfield took charge, although a clear-cut opening seemed far-fetched with the clock running down the half-hour mark.
After an initial onslaught, the visitors came agonisingly close to drawing first blood in the 35th minute when Dan Burn’s towering header from a pinpoint delivery went inches wide of the left post. ‘Magpies’ midfielder Miguel Almiron then saw his vicious 25-yard volley saved by an equally adept Edouard Mendy who denied the only shot on target by either side in the opening half.
Newcastle restarted the game with the same momentum they displayed before the break, continuing to threaten Chelsea, who were fortunate to see a penalty call turned down after a clumsy Trevoh Chalobah tackle in the 58th minute. The home side’s inefficiency in the final third prompted Thomas Tuchel to up the ante as he brought on Mateo Kovačić and Romelu Lukaku. With time ticking away, Havertz latched onto an accurate pass and took the ball down with sublime perfection before flicking it past Martin Dúbravka to get the home crowd grooving.
Eddie Howe’s new-look Newcastle held strong against Chelsea until the final minute, but will nonetheless beat themselves for handing Havertz a free pass at the end. The ‘Magpies’ now have just one victory in the last six H2H meetings, last winning a match at the Bridge in May 2012 under Alan Pardew.
