Eddie Howe is synonymous with tidiness, efficiency, time management and, above all, control. Given that there is nothing remotely slapdash, careless or wasteful about Newcastle’s manager, his team’s increasing penchant for losing often hard-won authority is proving the most puzzling of paradoxes.
Newcastle have developed a habit of throwing leads away this season and, 2-0 up thanks to a Nick Woltemade double, they were at it again.
Second-half goals from Reece James – who was outstanding at both ends – and João Pedro duly ensured a much-improved Chelsea atoned for an abject first 45 minutes by departing with a point. It was the 13th Newcastle have dropped from a winning position this term; that represents the sort of negligence that turns teams from title challengers to mid-table nonentities.
At least it began well for the home side. All too often lately, they have started games half a yard off the pace and Anthony Gordon has frequently flattered to deceive. It was different on Saturday. Four minutes were on the clock when Gordon pickpocketed a dawdling Wesley Fofana and the ball was worked out to the right wing where Gordon met Jacob Murphy’s cross and tested Robert Sánchez with a volley.
When Chelsea’s goalkeeper could only parry that effort, Malo Gusto switched off and Woltemade lashed the rebound home. Six days after the Germany striker’s decisive own goal in defeat at Sunderland, Woltemade’s name echoed as St James’ Park sung his name.
With the recently out of sorts Sandro Tonali looking more like his old, game-dictating self, in central midfield Newcastle played with the sort of vision and incision that had latterly gone missing.
In the 20th minute Woltemade scored again. On this occasion celebrations were delayed as the video assistant referee (VAR) engaged in a protracted review to determine it was just onside. Once again, Gordon played an integral part in the goal’s creation. The England winger beat James to the ball and his cross was flicked beyond Sánchez’s reach by Woltemade’s out-stretched toe.
Newcastle’s 6ft 6in striker is not super quick and his assiduous attempts at pressing sometimes suggest he finds it awkward, but Woltemade’s rich amalgam of extraordinary technical skill and ruthless finishing thoroughly bewildered Chelsea, and Trevoh Chalobah in particular.
Pedro Neto did find the net before half-time but, given that he used an arm to steer his header beyond Aaron Ramsdale, it counted for nothing.
By the interval Woltemade might have completed a hat-trick but volleyed another Gordon cross narrowly wide before Sánchez, seemingly on the brink of implosion, marched out of his area and issued his defence with a dressing down. And small wonder. When Cole Palmer tumbled over, his colleagues stopped in their tracks and waited, forlornly, for the referee to stop play.
Chelsea are not World Club champions for nothing and, sure enough, James’s fabulous free-kick reduced the deficit. As it arced, swerved and dipped its way over the home wall, Ramsdale was utterly deceived.
Suddenly the underwhelming Moisés Caicedo, Neto and Marc Cucurella were stepping on the gas and making their presence felt. Newcastle rallied and thought they had answered back when Chalobah’s shoulder charge on Gordon sent the winger crashing into the advertising hoardings. Contentiously, and pivotally, no penalty was awarded.
As the referee, Andy Madley – who was challenged by Newcastle’s reserve goalkeeper, John Ruddy, at the final whistle – ignored home anger, the moment had arrived for João Pedro to remind Howe of what might have been. Newcastle’s manager was disappointed when the forward opted to move to Stamford Bridge rather than St James’ Park last summer and his equaliser only exacerbated the pain.
After connecting with Sánchez’s long kick, João Pedro headed the ball beyond a slipping Malick Thiaw and proceeded to direct a wonderfully-assured shot into the bottom corner.
Two home substitutes very nearly atoned but when Yoane Wissa cued up Harvey Barnes a brilliant tackle from James saved the day for Chelsea.
