Chelsea dominated the match, created more chances of goal, but in the end, it was not enough. The Blues suffered their 8th Premier League defeat. Away from home, Lampard’s men were beaten by Newcastle 1-0, with a goal scored in the last minute of the match. Despite being far superior, Chelsea had to swallow the defeat.
Chelsea had 70% of the ball possession and had 19 shots during the match, but were unable to find a way past the Magpies’ stubborn rearguard. In the end, they paid the price at 90 + 4.
After a corner, which the defense didn’t clear that well, the ball went to Saint-Maximin on the left. He swang a cross back into the middle and Hayden got behind Rudiger to head past Kepa, who even touched the ball but couldn’t save it.
With 39 points, the London team occupies the fourth place in the Premier League table. The distance that separates the Blues from 5th-placed Manchester United, is five points. It could drop to just two if the Red Devils win their match on Sunday. Luckily for Chelsea, Ole Solskjaer’s men will face no other than Liverpool, who are increasingly likely to be the next Premier League Champions, with an impeccable campaign.
For Newcastle, on the other hand, the victory in the final minute meant relief. The team has been constantly fighting against relegation and every point makes the difference. Now the Magpies are in 12th place, with 29 points, which is seven more than Aston Villa (the 18th place).
According to Lampard, his team’s biggest problem, this Saturday, was wasting many chances. “We know we have problems in the opponent’s area because we don’t score enough goals,” said Chelsea coach. “We have no way other than to work more on the clinical edge. We need to have a killer instinct in front of the goal.”