Chelsea show lack of maturity in defeat to Newcastle United،
NEWCASTLE – Football has a short memory, if any at all. The atmosphere around Chelsea has been pleasantly lively in recent weeks following wild and frenetic matches against Tottenham and Manchester City, but Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United’s stronghold, St. James’ Park, made it clear who is truly Chelsea: a team. ongoing ; a team that still lacks much of the desired courage.
“We were gentle in every challenge,” said an angry Mauricio Pochettino. We did not participate in all the challenges. We didn’t show that we were playing for something important.
“That’s what makes me angry and disappointing. We have to learn in these games, which makes me very, very, very, very angry because we have to show more personality and character.”
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Pochettino, himself suspended for this match, watched from the stands and saw his reservations about his Chelsea team revealed as this latest test of maturity provided a resounding response.
Almost every week, the Argentina coach has challenged his young team to grow this season, to show the kind of determination and ruthlessness that defines trophy-winning teams. He spoke about the need for patience and consistency. And yet, in a game where Chelsea conceded four, failed to dictate play and saw captain Reece James sent off, the game quickly became a week to forget.
“We can’t miss this kind of opportunity to show the best of ourselves. We come from Tottenham and City, and all over the world people praise Chelsea,” Pochettino said.
“[This] It was our worst game of the season. It was hard to be in the stands. We can’t complain about the result, we didn’t read the match from the start,” he added.
This was always going to be a difficult test. One of Eddie Howe’s signature achievements since arriving at Newcastle in November 2021 has been transforming the club’s home form, where only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have beaten them in the Premier League since then, and Newcastle in has now won five on the bounce – – the previous four came without conceding.
Pochettino then reportedly shook his head when he saw Newcastle striker Alexander Isak open the scoring after 15 minutes by finding a gaping pocket in the Chelsea box before heading home. The fact that defender Marc Cucurella allowed this to happen by being caught playing with Isak was a sign of things to come.
Chelsea showed discipline but little fight, and other errors were evident and fortunate to go unpunished. Thiago Silva – who set a new record on Saturday as the oldest outfield player in Chelsea’s history – attempted to knock opposition winger Anthony Gordon out of his own corner flag before comically slipping and, doing so, gifted Newcastle a corner which Joelinton should have converted.
Conor Gallagher received the ball on the edge of the box after a mistake by goalkeeper Nick Pope, but he lost his composure and fired a weak shot wide. And there was James, who got into a little verbal spat with one of the Newcastle coaches over a free kick next to the touchline before carelessly passing straight to Gordon, who launched a move that could easily have been finish with a Newcastle goal. The signs were all there at halftime, even if the score line didn’t reflect it.
It was a piece of magic from Raheem Sterling from a beautifully taken free kick that meant the scores remained level at the break. The test was still in progress.
If the first half left questions unanswered, the second half answered them. Soon, Pochettino was pictured in the stands with his head in his hands as Chelsea fell behind again on the hour mark through a Jamaal Lascelles header. Chelsea’s task then required keeping a cool head but, seconds after the restart, Silva missed control of a back pass and allowed Joelinton to easily add Newcastle’s third.
“It’s about being mature,” Pochettino said. “You can’t worry about the opponent. You have to go and compete at your best level. Today we didn’t show that.”
A red card for Chelsea captain James 10 minutes later ended any doubt about the result. He was dismissed with a second yellow card for negligently tripping Gordon, who gleefully scored Newcastle’s fourth goal late in the match. Game over.
Chelsea now find themselves in familiar territory, potentially facing another season spent in the middle of the Premier League as they slip to 10th place.
Newcastle, by comparison, will be reassured by the result. The club have been facing something of an injury crisis with 13 players listed as unavailable, prompting Eddie Howe to name three goalkeepers on the bench. However, the victory and the message it sends will give them the confidence that they can secure the fifth place they will (probably) need to secure Champions League football for another season.
Saturday’s result, however, will not give a lasting feeling. Newcastle only need to look at their opponent Chelsea to know that football has a short memory.
