Chelsea Stars Shine in Stunning Tyneside Turnaround: Player Ratings from Newcastle Thriller

A remarkable second-half comeback saved Chelsea from embarrassment as they recovered from a two-goal deficit to secure a 2–2 draw with Newcastle United in an electrifying encounter at St James' Park.

A frantic opening period witnessed Newcastle dominate the Blues and establish a commanding two-goal advantage within the first 20 minutes, with Nick Woltemade finding redemption after his crucial Tyne-Wear derby own goal by scoring twice from close quarters. Chelsea failed to mount any meaningful response during a humbling first 45 minutes.

However, the Blues struck back instantly after the interval when Reece James curled home a magnificent free kick, before João Pedro leveled the score after Trevoh Chalobah fortunately avoided a penalty for a reckless challenge in the box.

Chelsea pressed hard for the winning goal in a heated contest that produced 10 yellow cards—with James nearly receiving a late red—but the visitors were ultimately content with earning a valuable point.

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Newcastle (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Robert Sánchez—8.2: Produced two outstanding stops within the opening 10 minutes, though the first unfortunately led to Woltemade's opener. Could do nothing about the German's second strike and surprisingly registered an assist for Pedro's equalizer.

RB: Malo Gusto—5.9: Completely overwhelmed by Gordon throughout the match. Following last week's impressive offensive showing, Gusto's defensive weaknesses were brutally exposed on Tyneside. Received a booking for dissent to compound a dreadful performance.

CB: Wesley Fofana—6.4: Lost possession to Gordon in the buildup to the first goal and then needlessly fouled the winger for the free kick leading to Newcastle's second, also failing to track the German's movement.

CB: Trevoh Chalobah—7.1: Couldn't clear the ball as it dropped to Woltemade in the fourth minute and was fortunate not to concede a penalty for a heavy challenge after halftime. Composed himself following the penalty appeals.

LB: Marc Cucurella—6.6: Among several players who started nervously at St James' Park as Jacob Murphy's persistence troubled him, with the Spaniard finding it difficult to find his rhythm throughout.

DM: Reece James—7.5: A stunning free kick brought Chelsea back into contention and the Blues appeared much more stable when the England international moved to right back. Made a vital tackle on Harvey Barnes to prevent a certain goal in the second half, though was perhaps lucky to escape a late red card for denying a scoring chance.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—8.1: The sole holdover from the midweek Cardiff City victory and among the few to maintain standards during Chelsea's poor first half. Threw himself into challenges and worked tirelessly to shield a chaotic defense.

RW: Pedro Neto—6.9: Sparked into life after the break and posed genuine danger with his blistering pace. Gave Chelsea significant hope on the counterattack.

AM: Cole Palmer—6.7: Endured numerous fouls and kicks at St James' Park, many inexplicably going unpunished, but Chelsea's key playmaker couldn't deliver any decisive moments of brilliance.

LW: Alejandro Garnacho—7.4: Could be considered fortunate to escape a red card in the first half for a high challenge, though a sending off would have been severe. Significantly better after the interval and featured in several of Chelsea's most threatening attacks.

ST: João Pedro—7.9: Contributed little in the attacking third for most of the match, but demonstrated determination and composure to net the equalizer.

Subs not used: Filip Jörgensen (GK), Benoît Badiashile, Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Facundo Buonanotte, Marc Guiu.

Newcastle United (4-3-3)

Starting XI: Aaron Ramsdale; Lewis Miley, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schär, Lewis Hall; Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, Jacob Ramsey; Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade, Anthony Gordon.

Subs used: Harvey Barnes, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock

Player of the Match: Nick Woltemade

Chelsea Player of the Match: Robert Sánchez

Newcastle 2–2 Chelsea: How It Unfolded at St James' Park

Chelsea implemented 10 changes from the squad that defeated Cardiff in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening as Enzo Maresca returned to a recognizable formation. The Blues arrived having suffered four consecutive losses at St James' Park, though their strong Premier League away form and Newcastle's injury-depleted defense suggested potential for breaking their Tyneside curse.

Nevertheless, a disastrous opening shattered their hopes as Woltemade struck home a scrappy goal, from Chelsea's viewpoint, after merely four minutes. Wesley Fofana lost the ball in his own half and despite an outstanding save from Robert Sánchez following a rapid counterattack, Newcastle's imposing German striker buried the rebound.

Matters deteriorated further for the Blues as Woltemade added his second and Newcastle's second before the 20-minute mark. A superb delivery from Gordon was expertly flicked past Sánchez and following an extended VAR review, Woltemade was ruled onside by mere millimeters. Chelsea simply couldn't cope with their opponents' relentless pressure.

They remained second-best in every department until the halftime break, with Newcastle's suffocating press completely overwhelming the Blues. Woltemade nearly completed his hat-trick on the stroke of halftime following more lackadaisical Chelsea defending, but the striker inexplicably fired wide of Sánchez's goal.

The contrast between the teams during the opening period could hardly have been starker, yet within minutes of the second half Chelsea had found a vital lifeline. A moment of brilliance cut the arrears as Chelsea captain James bent a perfect free kick off the inside of the upright and past Aaron Ramsdale's dive.

Chelsea's celebration should have been brief as Chalobah bundled Gordon over inside the penalty box moments later, but referee Andy Madley and VAR Peter Bankes dismissed heated protests. The Blues quickly capitalized on their fortune and a defensive calamity from Malick Thiaw to draw level.

Pedro controlled Sánchez's long clearance and profited from Thiaw's hesitation and subsequent stumble as he broke clear on goal, coolly finishing into the bottom corner to cap an extraordinary turnaround. Whatever Maresca told his team at the break had produced miraculous results.

A thrilling back-and-forth battle continued to captivate as both teams chased the winner and Newcastle would have secured it without James' intervention. An incredible last-gasp tackle stopped Barnes when clean through on goal, with the Newcastle forward then blazing wide from close range despite being unmarked at Chelsea's back post.

James faced a late VAR review for hauling down Barnes that could have resulted in a red card for the fullback for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity, but the England international avoided punishment as Chelsea secured a well-earned point at the conclusion of a chaotic encounter.

Newcastle vs. Chelsea Half Time Stats

Newcastle vs. Chelsea Full Time Stats