Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea: The one where Chelsea went top of the league

Ben Chilwell celebrated on Fernandez' behalf

Twelve games unbeaten - as a defeat on penalties isn't really a defeat. Five consecutive wins. Just one goal conceded across the last seven matches. And to top it all off -- top of the league. Granted, come Monday morning the table will likely have changed a number of times. But not matter. In this moment, Frank Lampard's Chelsea sit top of the table and have finally found their feet.

To say St James' Park has not been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea is an understatement. Before Saturday's lunch time clash, the Blues had won on just one of their last seven trips to Tyneside. A shocking record by any measure considering the form that the Magpies have found themselves in recent years. Much of Chelsea's squad have been away on international duty. While they've thrived - N'Golo Kante even scored - it's a lot of travel and training. Before another long trip to the north east.

Thiago Silva watched the game from the treatment rooms, which allowed Antonio Rudiger another start. Christian Pulisic was sent home from international duty for treatment on another injury while Kai Havertz continues his recovery from coronavirus. He's back in full training but the trip to Newcastle came a little too soon.

The visitors did not have long to wait for any bogey concerns to be eased with the deadlock broken just 10 minutes into Saturday's lunchtime clash. Mason Mount whipped a cross into the box but didn't quite find one of his own teammates. Ben Chilwell was in the mix but it was Federico Fernandez who turned it into his own net. Own Goal became Chelsea's twelfth different goalscorer in the Premier League this season. An incredible distribution of goals after just nine matches.

Kane doesn't even need to see to be the best

Brimming with confidence after such an early goal, Chelsea flooded Newcastle's 18-yard box as they sought a second. With an eye on show pony Andy Carroll sat on the bench waiting to score an injury time heart-breaker, the Blues needed to add to Fernandez' opener. While they should have been up by two or three at the break, they failed to break down Karl Darlow's one man mission to ruin my weekend. Chelsea went into the break with a slender one-goal lead.

Timo Werner marauded around the St James' Park pitch with a point to prove after being on the end of a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Spain during the break. The enthusiasm with which he approached the match may have thrown his accuracy off after being left guilty of more than one poor miss. But he more than made up for it with his assist for Tammy Abraham's goal. Turbo Timo left two Newcastle players for dead as he made the run to their final third before cleverly picking out the young forward for Chelsea's second.

It just never quite came together for the German international. After finally finding the back of the net with a shot, it was cruelly ruled out for being offside. Timo Werner would have to settle for an assist and potentially breaking a land speed record. Frank Lampard allowed him a break in the final 15 as he was subbed off for Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Steve Bruce predictably did bring in wrecking ball Andy Carroll and it seemed to galvanise Newcastle to a point. They saw more of the ball and looked more interested in scoring one for themselves. But it didn't quite manifest with Rudiger and Zouma dominating in front of Edouard Mendy. And with that Chelsea went top of the table.

It was a good day.

jb x

RESULT: Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea

GOALS: Fernandez 10, Abraham 65

CHELSEA XI: Mendy, James, Zouma, Rudiger, Chilwell (Emerson 82), Kovacic, Kante, Mount, Ziyech (Giroud 87), Abraham, Werner (Hudson-Odoi 76)

STAR MAN: N'Golo Kante