The Magpies got off to a dream start, courtesy of Sandro Tonali's strike just 1 minute and 52 seconds into the match—their fastest Premier League goal against Chelsea. Tonali latched onto a low-driven ball from Jacob Murphy and fired into the ground, beating Kepa Arrizabalaga to send the home crowd into raptures.
Chelsea's afternoon took a turn for the worse in the 37th minute when Nicolas Jackson was sent off for a reckless elbow to Sven Botman’s face. The initial yellow card was upgraded to red after a VAR review, leaving the Blues to battle with ten men for the remainder of the match.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea showed flashes of resilience in the second half. Smart saves from Nick Pope denied efforts from Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, while Reece James squandered a glorious opportunity to equalize, heading over from a well-placed Gusto cross.
Newcastle sealed the victory in the dying moments of the game. A deflected long-range strike from Bruno Guimarães looped over Kepa, putting the game beyond reach and boosting Newcastle's xG to 1.89—well over Chelsea's 0.62.
The result sees Newcastle remain third in the Premier League standings with two games remaining: a visit to Arsenal and a home fixture against Everton. Four points from those games would guarantee them a Champions League spot for the first time since the Bobby Robson era.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's struggles away from home continue, with six losses in their last nine league trips. Since Christmas, only Leicester City and Southampton have picked up fewer points on the road than Enzo Maresca's side, who remain fifth and risk missing out on Europe altogether if their form does not improve.
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