Match report: Chelsea 5 Newcastle United 1

Diego Costa’s 10 league goal of the
season set the Blues on the way to our
biggest league win of the season with a
Pedro double, a Willian strike and Bertrand
Traore’s first goal at Stamford Bridge
completing the task.
Incisive attacking play was in plentiful supply throughout
an entertaining encounter and it was only in the final
minutes that the visitors netted their consolation, their
new signing Andros Townsend firing in past a reshaped
Chelsea defence. John Terry ’s participation in our
Champions League round of 16 opener is now in some
doubt as the skipper was forced off with injury before the
interval.
By that stage we were already 3-0 up. Pedro had netted
the second inside the first 10 minutes after racing clear
and Willian scored next with a well-crafted goal. Pedro
showed his two-footed prowess in the second half when
he made it 4-0, with Traore then on-target having come
on as substitute, helping to send the team to France with
spirits high.
The Blues went into the 5.30pm kick-off knowing that
three points taken at home against a team below would
raise us two places in the Premier League table to 12
and there was good news before kick-off with Diego
Costa judged able to start the game having tested the
wearing of a protective mask yesterday, following the
accidental breaking of his nose in training a day earlier.
Gary Cahill was the natural replacement in the starting
line-up for the long-termed injured Kurt Zouma and Eden
Hazard was ready to begin a game for the first time since
the start of January. However there was no Oscar due to
a minor calf injury so Pedro started on the left with the
Belgian on the right-flank. With Willian in a central role,
Cesc Fabregas played deeper with Nemanja Matic who is
suspended for the next game. John Mikel Obi made way.
The Blues wore black armbands in memory of Louise
West, a highly valued member of the Chelsea staff and a
devoted supporter of the team who passed away at the
age of 26.
Newcastle, who were unchanged from their first win in
three outings, a 1-0 home success over West Brom, were
on the wrong end of that scoreline in this one after a mere
four minutes.
It was Willian the maker, Diego Costa the finisher with the
type of goal that set the Premier League alight last
season. Willian was in possession just inside the Geordie
half when he turned sharply past Cheick Tiote and darted
away. The pass to our centre-forward had the perfect
weight, as did Diego Costa’s low shot which beat goalie
Rob Eliot but also had the direction to roll in from a
difficult angle.
Having gone behind so early on, the last thing Steve
McClaren’s struggling side needed was a moment of
suicidal play from defender Rolando Aarons, but that was
what they got. Pedro latched onto the loose pass and was
suddenly completely clear and with plenty of time to think
about it. Roared on by the tea-time crowd, the Spaniard
smashed the ball left-footed into the bottom corner. He
looked mighty pleased as he celebrated in front of a Shed
End split between jumping Blues and the despondent two-
toned Toon.
There were only eight minutes gone and with another
eight minutes played, the score increased to 3-0.
The architects of the opener this time reversed their roles.
Diego Costa had too much pace for Newcastle captain
Fabricio Coloccini as he chased a pass out on the right
and once onto it, our masked topscorer picked out Willian
with a peach of a ball. The finish was close-range and
precise. Elliot had no chance.
Was this going to be one of those famous goal feasts
against Newcastle that Stamford Bridge has enjoyed
down the years?
The visitors continued to make mistakes, one almost
allowing Diego Costa to beat the keeper to a back pass,
and Aarons blocked a goal-bound Ivanovic shot after a
cross from the left.
On the half-hour, John Terry stooped low to meet a
Willian corner ahead of the near post but still got his
header on target. The man on the post blocked. It was
truly one-way traffic and Pedro should have made it four
on 36 minutes when teed up by Diego Costa but instead
picked out the keeper with his effort.
It didn’t all go Chelsea’s way in the first half however.
Terry, making his 699 Chelsea appearance, had been is
discomfort after colliding with Aleksandar Mitrovic during
an aerial duel and with half-time approaching he finally
came off. That meant a return to central defence for
Ivanovic and to right-back for Cesar Azpilicueta with Baba
Rahman the player coming on. It remains to be seen
whether the skipper’s famous powers of recovery will
allow him to take part in France on Tuesday night.
There were concerns we would lose another player to
injury when Daryl Janmaat went in hard on the back of
Hazard ’s foot. The right-back was lucky not to be booked
but after words from the referee and treatment to Hazard ,
the game continued.
A free-kick in prime Willian territory for a foul on our main
dead-ball specialist presented an added-time opportunity
to make it 4-0 before the interval, but Elliot made a good
finger-tip save at the base of his post. Even so, it had
been the most enjoyable Chelsea first-half performance
for some time.
Newcastle made a substitution and a formation tweak for
the resumption with Jack Colback, who was back from
injury, replacing the quiet Georginio Wijnaldum, and
McClaren’s men rallied to a degree for 10 minutes or so,
with Mitrovic going closest to pulling a goal back, but
then Blues kicked into gear again with Pedro ’s second of
the evening. It was another emphatic finish from the
former Barcelona man who is settling into life in London.
Fabregas played one his quality high passes from halfway
and Pedro ’s control with his chest past the last defender
was vital before another low shot, this time with his right-
foot, completed the job. He had his fifth goal for the club.
There was an hour gone.
With the game beyond doubt and Paris no doubt on his
mind, Guus Hiddink immediately replaced Diego Costa
with young Bertrand Traore and it looked a wise move
with Newcastle handing out the odd spot of rough stuff.
Jonjo Shelvey was booked for a foul on Fabregas and
Willian needed attention after a tackle from Tiote who was
replaced very soon after.
A spell of pressure without clear chances led up to a good
effort from distance from Baba . Ruben Lotus-Cheek then
came on for the final 10 minutes with Willian taking a
well-earned rest.
It had looked a contest with at least one more goal in it
and Chelsea’s fifth duly arrived from the sliding boot of
Traore , who followed up his FA Cup strike at MK Dons
with a well-timed run to meet a low Azpilicueta delivery at
the near post and score.
Hazard almost made it six when found by Fabregas. He
jinked skilfully to the side of this marker but the then
stabbed just wide.
It was a good strike from Townsend inside stoppage time
that dirtied the clean sheet on offer after the England
international was allowed to run at our defence, but that
goal conceded did not prevent the Blues recording our
most emphatic win in the league since Swansea 13
months ago.