Chelsea’s undefeated Premier League run came to a sudden end when they conceded a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Saturday. According to manager Jose Mourinho, “the best team lost.” That might very well be true, but the best team wasn’t the better team on Saturday and despite Mourinho’s reaction it was more than bad luck that cost the Blues. Few experts saw them losing that game to the Magpies but considering Mourinho’s record at St. James Park, the incredible level that Chelsea has played at all year, and Newcastle’s recent play maybe it shouldn’t have been a major shock that the vistors fell short this past weekend.
Blues Were Unlucky
Mourinho was quick to point out that he felt his team was unlucky and responded by saying that it was, “the kind of defeat that’s easy to accept.” While there were undoubtedly some unlucky bounces that went against the Blues, there were also balls that seemed to bounce in their favor only they weren’t able to capitalize. That’s just the nature of sports: the team that executes better and takes advantage of their opportunities usually wins.
The Unfriendly Confienes At St. James Park
Mourinho has never won at St. James Park before and part of the problem this past weekend might have been an incredible show of support from the Newcastle fans. Papiss Cisse helped give the home side a two-goal lead that really seemed to rally the home crowd and even when Chelsea cut in to the deficit, the audience really seemed to provide their team with an edge. St. James Park is undoubtedly a tough place for opponents to play and it’s appropriate to mention the struggles that Mourinho’s teams have had there as more than bad luck.
The Letdown Factor
All of the factors that went in to the setting for this game added to the adversity that the Blues were faced with when they finally suffered somewhat of a letdown in the Premier League. Chelsea did not show the same form they had exhibited in past weeks in this game until Didier Drogba provided a spark with a goal in the 83rd minute. By then it was too little, too late. Nobody expected the Blues to go undefeated this season, so it was only natural to expect them to have some type of letdown. That’s what happened in this spot.
Chelsea had arrived at Newcastle with a streak of 21-straight games without a loss but it wasn’t until Steven Taylor was sent off following a second booking that they came alive. Perhaps even with Diego Costa back, that should have been expected. The Blues were bound to suffer a letdown eventually and the window in which they surrendered a two-goal lead was enough for Newcastle to pounce and steal a crucial win at home.
No Love For Newcastle
There’s two sides to every story but in this one, the headlines have all focused on Chelsea’s loss more so than Newcastle’s win. All we’ve heard from pundits, media and bettors after the Magpies upset has been about Chelsea’s undefeated run ending and how Mourinho hasn’t been able to get it done at St. James Park. The truth is that Newcastle deserves more credit for an excellent performance. Cisse’s goals gave them the edge they needed up front and they found ways to weather both early and late onslaughts from the Blues attack. A lesser team would have crumbled.
As a result, the Magpies climbed in to a tie with Arsenal for the sixth spot in the Premier League standings with the victory and perhaps they deserve more recognition for an excellent game than what they have had to hear to this point. Newcastle might not finish in the top four in the Premier League this year but this was an excellent performance for a big win and it was much more than just bad luck that led to Chelsea’s loss.
