- Reece James - 65', 77'
- Jorginho - 81' Pen
Chelsea extend Premier League lead as Reece James double downs Newcastle
Premier League leaders Chelsea beat Newcastle United 3-0 on Saturday after a pair of stunning goals from Reece James.
Chelsea, who had only won two of their last eight games at St. James' Park, fielded a much-changed team as Romelu Lukaku, Mason Mount, Timo Werner and Mateo Kovacic were unavailable.
- Player Ratings: Reece James earns 9/10 vs. Newcastle
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That meant starts for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech, and it was the Morocco international who was the biggest threat.
But, despite having 75% possession in the first half, Chelsea struggled to break through as Ziyech's effort was ruled out for offside after he curled the ball into the top corner following a Jorginho pass, then James' cross was missed by Ziyech and Kai Havertz when both could have scored.
Ziyech struck a free kick over from 30 yards and Andreas Christensen did well to put off Jamaal Lascelles at the other end, but neither team managed a shot on target in the half.
Just after the break, Ziyech's shot was deflected off Lascelles and bounced against the post.
Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek came on for Ziyech and N'Golo Kante and shortly after James picked up the ball on right, cut inside and drilled a powerful shot into the top corner.
The right-back then smashed another 12 minutes later to make himself the club's joint-top scorer this season with four goals, and Jorginho made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Karl Darlow brought down Havertz.
The result saw Chelsea go three points clear as Liverpool were held 2-2 by Brighton and Manchester City lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Paul Tierney
English Premier League Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | +15 | 28 |
| Manchester City | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | +9 | 23 |
| Chelsea | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +8 | 19 |
| Arsenal | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +6 | 19 |
| Nottingham Forest | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +5 | 19 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | +4 | 19 |
| Fulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +3 | 18 |
| Newcastle United | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 18 |
| Aston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | +10 | 16 |
| Brentford | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Manchester United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| West Ham United | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -6 | 12 |
| Leicester City | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 10 |
| Everton | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -7 | 10 |
| Ipswich Town | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | -10 | 8 |
| Crystal Palace | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -7 | 7 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | -11 | 6 |
| Southampton | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | -14 | 4 |
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