- 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
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access
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 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | +13 | 25 |
| Manchester City | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | +10 | 23 |
| Nottingham Forest | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | +7 | 19 |
| Chelsea | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | +8 | 18 |
| Arsenal | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | +6 | 18 |
| Aston Villa | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | +2 | 18 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | +11 | 16 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | +3 | 16 |
| Fulham | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 15 |
| AFC Bournemouth | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | +1 | 15 |
| Newcastle United | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 |
| Brentford | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | -1 | 13 |
| Manchester United | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -3 | 12 |
| West Ham United | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -6 | 11 |
| Leicester City | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | -4 | 10 |
| Everton | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -7 | 9 |
| Crystal Palace | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -5 | 7 |
| Ipswich Town | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | -11 | 5 |
| Southampton | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | -12 | 4 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 10 | 0 | 3 | 7 | -13 | 3 |
Premier League News