Chelsea struggle to show progress in loss to Newcastle United

NEWCASTLE — The world of football often forgets quickly. The ambience surrounding Chelsea had been positively electric in the preceding weeks, fueled by high-intensity matchups with Tottenham and Manchester City, yet the stark 4-1 loss at the stronghold of Newcastle United, St. James’ Park, has laid bare the true status of Chelsea: An outfit still undergoing development; one yet to acquire the robust determination yearned for.

“We lacked grit in each confrontation,” an infuriated Mauricio Pochettino remarked. We failed to measure up in every contest. We didn’t manifest the urgency of participating in a significant battle.

“That is the source of my ire and disillusionment. We must absorb lessons from these contests, which incense me exceedingly because we have to exhibit greater fortitude and presence.”

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Pochettino, barred from the touchline for this clash, observed from the stands as doubts about his squad were confirmed when they faced this recent maturity benchmark that offered a stark verdict.

The South American coach has repetitively tasked his fledgling squad with maturation this season, to cultivate the cool-headed aggression that characterizes championship-clinching teams. He has discussed the importance of patience and unwavering performance. Nevertheless, in a contest where the Blues conceded four, failed to assert dominance, and witnessed team leader Reece James receive a red card, the fixture swiftly transitioned into a week to erase from memory.

“We should not squander opportunities like this to deliver our peak performance. We emerged from matches with Tottenham and City, where global observers celebrated Chelsea,” Pochettino remarked.

“[This] was our most dismal display of the season. Observing from the stands was arduous. We can’t make excuses for the verdict, we were ill-prepared from the onset,” he added.

Undoubtedly, this was to be a rigorous examination. Eddie Howe’s notable impact since landing at Newcastle in November 2021 has included a formidable turnaround of the club’s home performance, with defeats only from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League since, and where Newcastle have secured their fifth consecutive home victory — the previous four without surrendering a goal.

Pochettino must have been shaking his head when he witnessed Newcastle forward Alexander Isak break the deadlock after 15 minutes by discovering an expanse in the Chelsea defence before expertly finishing. That defender Marc Cucurella was responsible for the event by failing to catch Isak offside foreshadowed more trouble.

The Blues maintained order but exhibited meagre aggression, letting other blunders slide unreprimanded. Thiago Silva — setting a record as Chelsea’s eldest player in the field — attempted a flamboyant move against winger Anthony Gordon at his own flag only to comically lose his footing, giving way to a corner which Joelinton nearly converted.

Conor Gallagher got a clear chance at the verge of the penalty area after a blunder by the keeper Nick Pope, yet he squandered it with a weak shot misguided. Then there was James, who engaged in a short heated exchange with one of the Newcastle coaches at a set-piece before carelessly yielding possession to Gordon, igniting an attack that could’ve easily led to a Newcastle goal. The harbingers were unmistakable at the interval, even if the scoreboard didn’t yet mirror them.

A piece of sorcery from Raheem Sterling with an expertly delivered free-kick meant the scoreline stayed level during the intermission. Nevertheless, the challenge persisted.

If any queries lingered after the first half, the subsequent half furnished the answers. Shortly, Pochettino was captured on camera with his head buried in his palms as Chelsea fell behind once more from a Jamaal Lascelles header after sixty minutes. Chelsea’s response demanded composure yet, within moments of kickoff, Silva mishandled a simple back pass, allowing Joelinton to effortlessly register Newcastle’s third.

“Maturity matters,” Pochettino insisted. “You can’t dwell on the adversary. You must confront and compete at your utmost capability. Today, we failed to exemplify that.”

A subsequent second yellow, amounting to a red card for the Chelsea captain James barely ten minutes later, nullified any doubts regarding the outcome. He was ejected for a clumsy trip on Gordon, who joyously slotted home Newcastle’s forth towards the match’s conclusion. The contest was settled.

Chelsea now seem to be traversing a familiar path, possibly embarking on another year hovering in the mid-ranks of the Premier League as they slip to 10th position.

Contrastingly, Newcastle can derive encouragement from this triumph. The team has grappled with a spate of injuries with 13 squad members sidelined, necessitating Eddie Howe to enlist three goalkeepers as substitutes. Nonetheless, this victory and the significance it carries strengthens their conviction that they can cement the fifth spot anticipated to be adequate for Champions League competition for the forthcoming season.

The impact of Saturday’s outcome won’t linger. Newcastle only needs to observe Chelsea to understand that in football, recollections fade swiftly.