Ten-man Newcastle United handed Chelsea their first defeat of the season as Jose
Mourinho’s St James’ Park hoodoo continued.
The
Portuguese boss has never won a game in Tyneside and that record continued as
the Magpies ran out 2-1 winners to halt the Blues' unbeaten start to the
season.
A
second half masterstroke from Alan Pardew saw Cisse enter the fray and promptly
fire two goals past Thibaut Courtois.
And,
despite Steven Taylor’s sending off and a Didier Drogba header, the Toon
managed to hang on and move themselves up to seventh spot in the Premier League.
Chelsea
were the early aggressors at in the north east and Willian looked dangerous
when he whipped a shot goalwards, while Eden Hazard’s driving run had the Toon
defence fretting, but instead of passing to Diego Costa he slashed a shot off target.
But
Courtois had to be alert when a swift move involving Spanish striker Ayoze
Perez ended with a Jack Colback strike, but he was more than equal to it.
And
the sprightly midfielder continued an all-action display by curtailing a
Chelsea counter attack before lashing a wild drive wide of the upright moments
later.
Oscar’s
acrobatic effort just prior to the break was never troubling Rob Elliot, but
the Newcastle numer two goalkeeper’s afternoon ended at half time as an injury
forced Pardew to bring on youngster Jak Alnwick at the break.
A
game against the Premier League leaders, who have been prolific this season, is
hardly the match you would want to make your debut in but he was in a confident
mood, clearing an early corner with a punch.
And
despite an early change, Pardew was also in a bold frame of mind as he took off
playmaker Remy Cabella and replaced him with Cisse.
The
striker admitted earlier in the week a knee injury still hadn’t fully cleared
up but five minutes after coming on the Senegalese frontman slotted home when Gary Cahill scuffed an attempt at clearing Sammy
Ameobi’s cross.
Alnwick
continued to repel a series of dangerous Blues crosses as Mourinho’s men
charged forward and if it wasn’t the young glovesman it was another Toon star
putting any limb they could, legally, in front of the shots which began to
occur with metronomic regularity.
Belgian
wizard Hazard was left with his hands clasped over his head when his low strike
cracked off the bottom of the post and he was left to rue his miss when the
Magpies flew up the other end of the pitch to double their lead.
Colback
charged forward and Moussa Sissoko,
while falling, somehow managed to play in Cisse on the right side of the box
and, with Courtois stranded following his attempts to halt Sissoko, he fired
his second of the game into an empty net.
Chelsea
were handed a huge boost when Steven Taylor was red carded for a reckless
challenge on Andre Schurrle and
from the resulting free-kick Drogba flicked beyond Alnwick, who was in no man’s
land after lurching off his line.
Strikes
from Costa, Schurrle and an audacious effort from Brazilian left-back Filipe
Luis were unable to deceive Alnwick and the Toon were able to cling on for
victory, leaving Pardew to shake Mourinho's hand with a wry smile etched across
his face.
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