Palmer shines on England audition as Chelsea dent Newcastle’s European hopes

Chelsea 3-2 Newcastle (Jackson 6’, Palmer 57’, Mudryk 76’| Isak 43’, Murphy 90’)

STAMFORD BRIDGE – Last week, Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley claimed that during his time at the club, the former manager Steve Bruce had not wanted to turn up to work. By the end of a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea that severely dents their European hopes, a few of their current staff looked as if they would rather be anywhere else too.

The result eases the scrutiny on Mauricio Pochettino, who was under such pressure after the draw with Brentford that he cancelled a birthday dinner with his wife. Fortunately for him, the Magpies’ record here is wretched – one win in 28 league games – and within six minutes, it was clear the curse would continue.

Sven Botman’s poor clearance was caught by Cole Palmer, whose effort from the edge of the area was flicked in by Nicolas Jackson for his ninth Chelsea goal – putting him level with Andriy Shevchenko and Samuel Eto’o, in any other context pretty esteemed company.

If Chelsea’s fastest goal in a home league game since 2018 were not painful enough, the visitors also saw their injury crisis worsen. Harvey Barnes was ruled out before kick-off with a hamstring injury and Anthony Gordon had to be replaced in the first half with a knee complaint, missing his own shot at staking his claim for Gareth Southgate’s squad with the England manager watching in the stands ahead of his naming his final squad before Euro 2024 on Thursday.

There was no fear of that for Palmer. Newcastle had fought back through Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes battling well to win the ball and set away the Swedish international to ping an impressive finish past Djordje Petrovic.

Yet they struggled to find a reply when Palmer, with three Newcastle defenders near him, broke free and tried his luck from the edge of the box.

Moments later, Dan Burn cleared off the line as Eddie Howe’s men side battled in vain against the predetermination of their awful run on the road – now 11 in a row without a clean sheet – and they were fortunate that Raheem Sterling chose to shoot himself rather than tee up Palmer for another straight away.

When the third did come, it was from a far more unlikely source in Mykhailo Mudryk as he rounded Martin Dubravka. Before the game Howe had vowed that Newcastle’s main focus would be improving defensively but the message did not seem to have sunk in as the Ukrainian wriggled through the back line. In midfield, Sean Longstaff repeatedly gave the ball away.

All this, on a night when Chelsea might have been there for the taking with Ben Chilwell and Levi Colwill adding to their own significant injury list. Jacob Murphy’s rocket at the end of regulation time came too little, too late.

A win would have put Newcastle seventh, overtaking West Ham in the race for the Europa Conference League. If that feels a touch anti-climactic after the highs of the Champions League, then Newcastle are being dealt persistent reality checks at where the project is at – and it will get tougher without Gordon, who was not tracking back effectively but who was at least lively going forward.

Instead, Pochettino can rest a little easier, and not just because Jose Mourinho – whose name the fans sang last week – is spending more time gallivanting at Saudi Grand Prixs than managing football clubs these days.

Palmer and his fellow auditionees – an impressive Tino Livramento among them – may have been more concerned about impressing Southgate but there was another man in the stands making his presence known – Todd Boehly. Pochettino could not afford another mutiny in front of him.