If Enzo Maresca is trying to talk himself out of the Chelsea job, his players looked like helping him on his way after 45 minutes – come the 90th, the improvement that earned them a draw was as confusing as their manager’s words have been cryptic.
Their first-half performance needed no decoding – it was useless. In mitigation, they ran into a Newcastle side who produced their best half of the season. Or rather, Newcastle ran into Chelsea, as well as through them, around them and over them. Eddie Howe’s men were everything Maresca’s weren’t – brave, ambitious and clinical.
Nick Woltemade scored twice in response to his own goal that settled last weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby, and the hosts looked set for victory just as much as the visitors looked set for defeat. Newcastle were the better team with the better players and Chelsea had failed to show.
But whatever Maresca said at half-time must have been far clearer than his utterances in the press of late, where he has hinted at discord behind the scenes, much to the bemusement of those on the inside. Is he trying to manufacture an end-of-season exit to Manchester City? Some suspect so.
The second-half fightback in which Reece James whipped home a wonderful free-kick and Joao Pedro scored a superb solo goal suggested that manager and players are still united. We will, then, continue to look elsewhere for the source of Maresca’s irritation. It felt like we had the answer after Chelsea’s first-half offering. Newcastle, in fairness, were fabulous, like a tribute act to their very best version of seasons gone by.
When Woltemade came on during the second half against Fulham on Wednesday, just three days after his derby despair, the cheer was hearty and forgiving. Howe said afterwards that the Toon Army have a unique sense of knowing what their players need and when they need it.
Nick Woltemade scored twice as Newcastle United cruised to an early lead against Chelsea
The German netted in response to his own goal that settled last weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby
Enzo Maresca’s side were awful in the first half but were able to kick into gear after the break
The reception rearmed the German and, here, he came out firing. The fastest form of therapy is not a social-media apology, it is scoring goals. Woltemade had two inside 20 minutes.
Anthony Gordon was another with a point to prove after his showing at Sunderland. For all the England winger was too soft and too slow at the Stadium of Light, he was a fast and nasty nuisance this time.
There was end-product, too. It was he who nicked the ball from Wesley Fofana to spring an attack that allowed Jacob Murphy to deliver from the right. There, at the far post on the left, was Gordon.
His stab deserved a goal but, when it was blocked by Robert Sanchez, Woltemade followed up to lift into the roof of the net. With it, St James’ own lid was sent skywards. It was the start Woltemade and the team needed, but they weren’t done there.
Gordon, Murphy, Sandro Tonali and others were relentless in unsettling Chelsea and it felt like the visitors were already praying for mercy of half-time when Woltemade scored his second in just the 20th minute. Gordon swung in teasingly from the left and the striker applied a diversion with his instep to take the ball beyond Sanchez and into the bottom corner.
Woltemade should have sealed the outcome and his ownership of the match-ball in first-half stoppage-time when Gordon crossed low and he slid in to poke wide from three yards.
Within four minutes of the second half James curled in from 25 yards but Newcastle’s two-goal lead might have been restored when Trevor Chalobah barged over Gordon inside the area, only for Andrew Madley to dismiss penalty claims. It looked a foul in real-time and on replays. Not so said the officials, on Tyneside and at Stockley Park.
By the 66th minute Chelsea were level. Sanchez pumped downfield and Pedro controlled with his head before skipping clear and finishing with his right foot beneath Aaron Ramsdale.
Reece James scored a superb free-kick four minutes into the second half to reduce the deficit
Joao Pedro equalised to restore parity for the Blues, who will settle for a point at St James’ Park
A game of basketball ensued in the final half hour and, unlike the NBA, it ended in the rarity of a tie. Both sides had chances to win it and moments when they thought they had lost it – Harvey Barnes smashed a volley wide from close range in what ranked as the best of the openings.
Come the end, Maresca and Howe looked happy to shake on a draw.
