Chelsea staged a dramatic fightback to rescue a 2-2 draw against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday, after falling two goals behind in the first half.
Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade put the home side in control with a quick double in the opening 20 minutes.
Chelsea’s defence struggled to cope, allowing Woltemade to slot home twice, first following a mishandled cross from Jacob Murphy, and then from Anthony Gordon’s pinpoint delivery.
After the break, Chelsea turned the game around thanks to Reece James’s stunning free-kick in the 49th minute and Joao Pedro’s brilliant solo effort in the 66th, which saw him convert a long clearance past Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The draw keeps Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League, but questions linger over head coach Enzo Maresca’s future after a turbulent week that saw speculation linking him to Manchester City.
Maresca denied the reports, calling them “100 percent speculation,” and insisted he remains focused on Chelsea.
Chelsea’s slow start was attributed to defensive lapses and poor organisation, issues that Maresca had hinted at after last weekend’s win over Everton.
Newcastle, despite injuries to key defenders like Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, and Tino Livramento, threatened to extend their lead but were controversially denied a penalty when Trevoh Chalobah barged into Gordon.
Maresca, visibly relieved after the equaliser, celebrated with a jubilant jig on the touchline as his side secured a hard-fought point.
The comeback underlined Chelsea’s resilience but also highlighted ongoing concerns over squad rotation and defensive cohesion this season.
