Newcastle United inflicted another setback on Chelsea with a narrow 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday, courtesy of an early strike from Anthony Gordon.
Still reeling from a heavy 5-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League, the side managed by Liam Rosenior again looked vulnerable at the back. The decisive moment came in the 18th minute when Joe Willock beat the offside line before setting up Gordon, who calmly finished to give Newcastle the lead.
Chelsea pushed harder after the break and dominated large spells of the second half in search of an equaliser. Their best opportunity arrived deep into stoppage time when captain Reece James struck the post with a late free kick in the 93rd minute.
The loss leaves Chelsea in fifth place in the league standings, with rivals Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool all scheduled to play on Sunday in the race for Champions League qualification spots. Meanwhile, Newcastle moved up to ninth on the table.
