Newcastle v Chelsea player ratings
Reece James scored twice as Chelsea won at St James’ Park to move three points clear at the top of the Premier League. Here’s how we rated each Blues player in the 3-0 victory over Newcastle.
Edouard Mendy: 6
After his heroics in recent Chelsea games, it was a much quieter outing for Mendy as his team dominated.
Andreas Christensen: 7
Calm and composed. Dealt with the threat of Callum Wilson with minimal fuss.
Thiago Silva: 7
Used the ball well – which was his main task in light of the fact that Newcastle offered so little going forward.
Antonio Rudiger: 8
His superb form continues. Again he was solid defensively and eager to storm forward, firing one effort over the bar.
Reece James: 9
Brilliant. Scored two fine goals, served up excellent crosses – and a couple of not-so good ones – and his general display was outstanding.
N’Golo Kante: 7
His trademark tigerish work in midfield wasn’t needed because Newcastle offered so little. Did the basics well before going off in the second half.
Jorginho: 7
Jorginho’s type of game. With Chelsea dominating possession he was able to pull the strings. Produced a fabulous pass to set up a chance for Hakim Ziyech in the first half.
Ben Chilwell: 7
No goal this time but Chilwell, who had scored in his previous four league matches, was dominant on the left-hand side as Chelsea relied heavily on their wing-backs because Newcastle were determined to deny the visitors space through the middle.
Hakim Ziyech: 5
Another disappointing display. Missed a great chance in the first half, firing over following James’ cross, and was generally off the pace before being taken off in the second half.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: 7
Denied space by Newcastle’s low block but stuck to the task and the all-important opening goal followed a Hudson-Odoi cross.
Kai Havertz: 7
Also restricted by Newcastle’s defensive game plan, but he too worked hard up front and created space for others with his movement.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 6
Gave Chelsea more of a physical presence through the middle after coming on.
Ross Barkley: 6
More effective than Ziyech after replacing him.
