Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle United - Black and White and Tweeted All Over
Matt The Blue |
The build-up
ChelseaAnalysis: Chelsea line-up vs. Newcastle: Cech - Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand - Mikel, Meireles - Ramires, Malouda, Sturridge - Torres.
BluesChronicle: Chelsea subs for Newcastle: Turnbull, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Mata, Kalou, Drogba.
benrumsbyPA: RDM proves he is a gambler by resting both Mata and Lampard tonight. Needs Malouda and Sturridge to pull their fingers out.
benrumsbyPA: We could have another mudbath here. As predicted on Sunday, the pitch has struggled to recover from the downpour against QPR.
OptaJoe: 12 - Newcastle have conceded a total of 12 goals in their last three Premier League games in London. Battered.
ChelseaRumours: What kind of service will Torres get tonight without Lampard, Mata & Kalou? As I see it, Meireles will have to step up.
The first half
BluesChronicle: Chelsea v Newcastle kicks off at Stamford Bridge. COME ON CHELSEA! Bolton v Tottenham kicks off at the Reebok in 15mins. COME ON LASAGNE!
ChelseaAnalysis: Torres chests it and passes it to Meireles who skies it.
ChelseaAnalysis: Lovely movement from Torres. Brought down and it’s a free-kick to Chelsea.
chelseafc: First yellow of the night goes to Tiote for a foul on Torres.
chelseafc: Meireles sends the resulting free kick into the arms of Krul.
BluesChronicle: All Chelsea so far in these early stages. Possession, as we well know, counts for nothing though.
ChelseaAnalysis: Ramires is down and is receiving treatment. Reckless challenge.
ChelseaRumours: Please don’t be injured Ramires.
benrumsbyPA: Tiote in danger of one of the earliest red cards ever after leaving Ramires in a heap. He’s okay to continue.
TheChelseaBlog: Unlucky, really positive from Torres again tonight.
ChelseaAnalysis: Torres nearly sets Sturridge up, but he doesn’t get a firm touch to it and it’s out for a goal-kick.
bridgeviews: Torres looking lively and confident again. Just played in Sturridge, who should have been braver on the shot, but scuffed it.
ChelseaAnalysis: Cech saves from Tiote, who should’ve been sent off.
henrywinter: Torres on fire. Tiote on tightrope. Booked for fouling Torres. Ben Arfa/Cisse/Ba increasing threat on counter. Raining (doesn’t it always?)
BluesChronicle: Torres, taste whetted at the weekend, fancies getting his name all over the scoresheet tonight. Hope he gets exactly what he wants.
BluesChronicle: GOAL: Chelsea 0-1 Newcastle. Cisse.
ChelseaRumours: Beautiful and undeserved goal by Cissé. 0-1.
benrumsbyPA: Pick that out. Cisse plants one right in the top corner after being given too much room to receive Santon pass.
BluesChronicle: Chelsea 0-1 Newcastle: Chelsea defence all at sea as Cisse flicks it up with one foot, and wellies home with other. Good goal.
bridgeviews: The Chelsea midfield is more than a little absent at the moment.
OptaJoe: 12 - Papiss Cisse has matched Alan Shearer by scoring 12 goals in his first 12 Premier League appearances. Emulation.
BluesChronicle: Though the line-up will be v different on Sat, that’s a warning: giving a top striker the freedom of the penalty area results in goals. Duh.
ChelseaAnalysis: Mikel flawless so far.
bridgeviews: I will not criticise Sturridge this early. I will not criticise Sturridge this early. I will not criticise Sturridge this early.
ChelseaAnalysis: Midfield missing a figure like Lampard. Sturridge inconsistent.
CarloFan: We have lost our way and playing too direct which doesn’t work with Torres.
ChelseaAnalysis: Ben Arfa is murdering us.
chelseafc: Lamps and Mata get a cheer as they warm up.
ChelseaRumours: Bertrand with his poorest game so far.
ChelseaRumours: Perfect turn and cross by Torres, free header for Malouda - off target.
ChelseaRumours: Ivanovic heads over. Good chance.
ChelseaRumours: Not saying Bertrand is bad, just not as impressive as against Arsenal for example.
BluesChronicle: Ba hits the bar!
chelseafc: Half time and Newcastle lead 0-1.
ChelseaAnalysis: Real changed needed at half-time. Sod the FA Cup, Newcastle are there for the taking.
BluesChronicle: HT: Chelsea 0-1 Newcastle. A moment of brilliance from Cisse decisive, but Blues looking well below par in general. Changes needed, Robbie.
The second half
chelseafc: 2nd half underway - Mata replaces Sturridge. Attendance 41,559.
BluesChronicle: Drogba warming up, and getting cheers from the Chelsea crowd. Time to bring him on?
BluesChronicle: Saw a poster in a cafe window earlier today saying ‘waitress wanted’. At least Meireles will have somewhere to go at the end of the season.
chelseafc: Cabaye sees yellow for fouling Ramires on 55 mins.
benrumsbyPA: Tiote’s flailing limbs almost land him in trouble again as he catches Mikel in the face.
BluesChronicle: Chelsea sub: Drogba on for Malouda.
benrumsbyPA: Mikel exacts instant revenge by leading with an arm in aerial challenge. Tiote staying down here.
chelseaoffside: That was a nasty elbow from Mikel. I hope Tiote is ok, but I don’t know.
BluesChronicle: Newcastle sub: Taylor on for Tiote.
TheChelsOrg: Mikel elbowed in head, gets up. Mikel elbows Tiote back, knocks him out. Mikel > Chuck Norris.
benrumsbyPA: Tiote being taken off on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask after around four minutes of treatment. Looks very serious indeed.
BluesChronicle: Concern about that Tiote incident: replays show Mikel led with his elbow. If that’s violent conduct, he could be out for rest of season.
ChelseaRumours: Great to see both sets of supporters clapping Tioté off.
BluesChronicle: Also - replays show an awkward landing for Tiote. Hope he’s OK.
BluesChronicle: Goal at the Reebok: Bolton 1-1 Tottenham. C’MON CHELSEA - SORT IT OUT!
benrumsbyPA: Emotions running high here. Ba and Ivanovic have to be separated by the referee.
chelseafc: Newcastle sub: Ba replaced by Ameobi 74mins.
chelseafc: Chelsea sub: Meireles replaced by Lampard 77mins.
BluesChronicle: Goal at the Reebok: Bolton 1-2 Tottenham. VDV. Balls.
BluesChronicle: Goal at the Reebok: Bolton 1-3 Tottenham. Game over.
chelseafc: Drogba goes down in the box but ref not interested.
BluesChronicle: Expect LOADS on injury time to be added for that Tiote injury. 7-9mins is what I’m hearing.
chelseafc: Seems we used our quota of goals up against QPR.
BluesChronicle: Another goal at the Reebok: Bolton 1-4 Tottenham. Bolton officially rubbish.
benrumsbyPA: Off the line! Santon is in the right place to deny Terry’s header from a corner.
BluesChronicle: Newcastle sub: Obertan on for Ben Arfa.
BluesChronicle: 10mins added time.
ChelseaAnalysis: Newcastle parking it.
BluesChronicle: GOAL: Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle. Cisse.
bridgeviews: And we’re done.
henrywinter: Surely over now…majestic goal from Cisse, 13 in 12. Sensational. Sent curling half-volley over Cech. Outside of the boot. Brilliant.
benrumsbyPA: That is one of the most ridiculous goals you will ever see from Cisse. A 30-yard banana shot with the outside of the right foot.
chelseaoffside: Fuck me, that’s the goal of the season.
BluesChronicle: Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle: wonder goal from Cisse. Incredible curling shot from all of 35 yards. Special stuff. Unlike Chelsea tonight.
bridgeviews: Have to win the Champions League now…or it’s Thursday nights for us next year. Well, we’ve got a chance…
ChelseaRumours: Undone by 2 moments of brilliance in a game where we’ve dominated. Much like Barca vs us. Cisse… Incredible.
chelseaoffside: Hell, that’s one of the best goals I’ve ever seen now that I think about.
henrywinter: Good news…Tiote’s just arrived in the dug-out. Mark on head but seems fine.
TerrenceTheCat: RDM got it badly wrong tonight starting with Malouda, Meireles & Mikel.
OptaJoe: 13 - Papiss Cisse has equalled the PL record of 13 goals in a player’s first 12 apps in the competition (M Quinn & K Phillips). Incredible.
Full time
chelseafc: Full time here at the Bridge and it’s a disappointing 0-2 defeat to Newcastle with two very special Cisse goals.
BluesChronicle: FT: Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle. Two supreme Cisse goals mean Chelsea now need miracles for 4th. Champions League: gotta win it to be in it.
BBCSport: Newcastle win 2-0 at Chelsea to move four points clear of the Londoners in the race for Champions League places.
The press reports
The Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “On a night when Papiss Cissé scored an unbelievable goal for Newcastle that defied physics, Chelsea realised that their chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League almost defies mathematics. They probably now need to win the final against Bayern Munich to qualify.”
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: “With the FA Cup final against Liverpool to come, Roberto Di Matteo sought balance. Fernando Torres was included but Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Juan Mata and Didier Drogba were all named among the substitutes. It was a balancing act in more than one sense since Chelsea did not wish to see their form topple when a finish in the top four would offer a route to next season’s Champions League if they do not become holders by beating Bayern Munich.”
The Official Chelsea FC Website: “Chelsea suffered a frustrating home defeat thanks to a superb Newcastle display at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.”
The goals