Newcastle United were just minutes away from the rarest of results at Stamford Bridge before Kai Havertz, of all people, delivered a hammer blow at the death. Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle.
Newcastle have played better games since Eddie Howe took charge but, despite missing a host of players, the Magpies executed a very effective game plan for 88 minutes on Sunday. Despite having just 27% of the ball, Newcastle frustrated Chelsea - boldly pressing the Blues high up the pitch for large periods - and the hosts were unable to even muster a shot on target until the final quarter of an hour.
However, as resilient as Newcastle were, the Magpies were ultimately let down by the officials. Havertz stayed on the field after elbowing Dan Burn in the face in the 39th minute when the Germany international could so easily have seen red. Referee David Coote told the players that Havertz had been looking at the ball the whole time when they jumped for a header, but Burn thought it was a 'bit naughty' - and had the gash to prove it.
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If that was not bad enough for Newcastle, most damningly, Jacob Murphy was awarded a corner kick rather than a penalty kick after Trevoh Chalobah pulled him back before the hour mark. There have been few more clear cut fouls inside the area this season yet, bizarrely, Coote did not even watch the incident back on the pitchside monitor.
Regardless, Newcastle were at least on course for a well-earned point until Havertz struck in the 89th minute to send an emotional Thomas Tuchel darting down the touchline in Chelsea's first home game since owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government. The Chelsea boss uncharacteristically celebrated in front of the dejected Newcastle bench, but there were certainly no hard feelings after the game.
"I don't think there was anything directed at us," Howe told reporters following Newcastle's 1-0 defeat. "It was just that moment, from his perspective, where he scored late in the game.
"I didn't see it as disrespectful. I've got a lot of respect for Thomas and how he works and how he conducts himself. I understand these things happen and he was caught in his moment.
"From our side it was hugely disappointing because it was so late in the game that we didn't have a chance to respond. When you've been on an unbeaten run that we have, it was just difficult timing for us and difficult to accept, but we have to. That's football."
Given the hammerings Newcastle have taken in this fixture over the years, it was hardly a surprise that the tired Magpies were roared off the field by the 3,000 Geordies in attendance after the club's nine game unbeaten run in the Premier League finally came to an end.
Newcastle only really had a couple of light sessions before this fixture, because of the quick turnaround between games, but you would not have known it - even if the visitors tired late on. Howe had watched a host of Chelsea games in the build-up and it showed.
While Howe certainly respected Tuchel, the Newcastle head coach did not want his side to fear the world champions. Previous managers had been keen to focus on Chelsea's strengths but, regardless of the opponent, that is not Howe's style. Instead, Howe drove home how his side could hurt Chelsea on what was always going to be a strange afternoon in the post-Abramovich era.
Newcastle may have had a wretched record at Stamford Bridge - winning only one of their last 27 ahead of this game - but they had a chance with this sort of approach as Howe told his players it was not a 'free hit'. Perhaps, then, of all the visiting managers to have previously taken charge of at least three Premier League fixtures at Stamford Bridge, it is not a surprise that Howe's 60% win rate was the best.
This was going to be a very different approach to the reverse fixture at St James' Park in October, where interim boss Graeme Jones admitted 'we don't want to play that way after his side mustered just one weak shot on target and failed to win a corner in a 3-0 defeat. Winger Ryan Fraser even played in the middle of the park.
In contrast, 134 days on, even goalkeeper Martin Dubravka commented 'we are trying to play a modern football, which I'm very pleased with. It's not just kicking the ball up there and fighting for every ball and every second ball.'
However, Howe's task was complicated by a huge physical effort at Southampton three days previously, which left a lot of his players fatigued and suffering with cramp. If that game was not intense enough, well, coming up against Chelsea was another level up entirely.
Therefore, Howe was always going to make changes but trying to predict who would come in was far from straightforward given Allan Saint-Maximin was ill, Joelinton was managing a groin issue and Emil Krafth hobbled off against Southampton with cramp. To further compound matters, Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock were ill. Was it any wonder then that Howe ended up naming two goalkeepers, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie, on the bench as well as youngster Lucas De Bolle?
Howe ultimately made four changes to his starting line-up as the Newcastle boss switched to a back five and recalled Jamaal Lascelles, Javier Manquillo, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron. Given how reluctant Howe has been to change a winning side, this was a rare opportunity for the quartet to not only stake a claim to be starters but, also, to prove they have a part to play in the club's future.
You certainly would not have known much-changed Newcastle were without so many key players and the Magpies quickly settled in the capital as the visitors frustrated Thomas Tuchel's side and pressed them high up the pitch. It was the away end who were loudest as they taunted: 'Mike Ashley - he's coming for you!'
Despite so little possession, Newcastle had the better chances in the first half. Dan Burn glanced a header just wide from Matt Targett's free-kick in the 34th minute - a few minutes before he felt the full force of Havertz's elbow - while Miguel Almiron stung Edouard Mendy's palms with a sweetly-struck volley from just outside the area before half-time.
It was a similar story after the break. In fact, in the 46th minute, Bruno Guimaraes flashed an effort just wide from inside the box as Chelsea struggled to get going and Newcastle had a major shout for a penalty before the hour mark but Coote was unmoved when Chalobah pulled Murphy back. In a game like this, Newcastle simply needed a decision like that to go their way and Chelsea soon broke the deadlock.
There were 89 minutes on the clock when Jorginho found some space and lofted a ball over the top of Newcastle's defence. Havertz spun away from Burn and expertly took it down before hooking the ball past Dubravka. to leave Howe with his hands on his head and Tuchel dancing a jig of delight.
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