Chelsea fans will hope property developer Nick Candy will be their hero in the weeks and monthsahead, but Kai Havertz was the man of the moment on Sunday as he gave Blues fans something to celebrate with a minute remaining in their first home game since owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government.

A second special licence granted on Saturday allowed the Blues to spend up to £900,000 on home games to stage matches at Stamford Bridge, but they are still not allowed to sell tickets, meaning the 40,000 mark in west London may not be breached for some time.

The fans in attendance were defiant and loud, but their team was far from fluid. It took them almost 80 minutes to get their first shot on goal, a Havertz header that would have gone in if it had not fallen straight to the keeper, and they hardly deserved the three points that the German's next shot on goal earned them.

Miguel Almiron had come closest to scoring in the first half when he forced Edouard Mendy into a long range save before Dan Burns' header flew across goal.
Chelsea could have been down to 10 players before the break when Havertz's elbow hit Burns' face, but referee David Coote only saw a yellow card.

After the break, however, there was no need for VAR, as Nathaniel Chalobah appeared to bring down Jacob Murphy while Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel clashed on the touchline.

The Blues would surely have had a penalty after an hour had VAR not intervened when Timo Werner was brought down, but the offside flag, confirmed on review, ended the German striker's day and he was substituted seconds later.

Chelsea player ratings

Edouard Mendy - 7

Coped well with a clumsy back pass from Ziyech, but a poor pass to Kante led to a free kick in a dangerous area. Best save in the first half when he blocked Almiron's shot with his right foot.

Malang Sarr - 6.5

A much more defensive performance than the other flank, but he remained calm for most of the game.

Antonio Rudiger - 7.5

Marauding runs into midfield and even overlaps to the touchline were a sign of his efforts to mix up a flat Chelsea side, admirable given his own future is most uncertain. Even technical advisor Petr Cech said before kickoff that he did not know how Chelsea could re-sign players with expiring contracts this summer.

Andreas Christensen - 6.5

Was not tested much by Chris Wood, whose quality of performances left much to be desired.

Nathaniel Chalobah - 6

Had to face an aerial attack that anyone who has to deal with Wood will have to reckon with. The New Zealander looked for him on dead balls to isolate him, but he withstood the pressure. Was lucky, though, that there was no penalty against him when Jacob Murphy wriggled past him just before the break.

Mason Mount - 6.5

Strong performance in the early stages but no end product, which pretty much sums up Chelsea's day. Forward play also left a lot to be desired. Was substituted for Mateo Kovacic after an hour.

Jorginho - 7

It's hard to blame him for Chelsea's lack of creativity, but he did not have many ideas to overcome Newcastle's defence until the pass that decided the game, perfectly chipped over the defensive line.

N'Golo Kante - 7

Did a good job nipping Newcastle's ground attack, limited as it was, in the bud and showing some initiative with the ball at his feet. Probably Chelsea's best midfielder.

Timo Werner - 4.5

Drew the ire of Tuchel more than once with a series of misplaced passes. The worst was after 55 minutes, when he failed to get a ball over the line, which, if he had brought it at all, would have been the best chance of the game. Even when he seemed to win a penalty, caused by Martin Dubravka, he was offside. Immediately after that he was substituted.

Kai Havertz - 7

Was a little lucky not to receive more than a yellow card for connecting his elbow with Dan Burns' face. Tried to run away when Romelu Lukaku was substituted but was made to hold out by Tuchel, which turned out to be fortunate. He fired the first shot on goal for Chelsea in the 77th minute, but should have done more with a close-range header. However, the magic moment at the end was of real quality, especially the first touch.

Substitute

Mateo Kovacic - 6.5

Romelu Lukaku - 6.5

Christian Pulisic - 6.5
calendar_month13/03/2022 11:18 pm