Woltemade Brace Not Enough As Chelsea Rally For 2-2 Draw

In a resilient comeback, Chelsea overturned a two-goal halftime deficit to secure a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United.

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While the Blues salvaged a point, the result allowed the Magpies to maintain their formidable home form, extending their unbeaten streak at St James’ Park to 10 matches.

Looking to bounce back from a painful derby loss to Sunderland, Newcastle took control immediately. Their early pressure paid off just four minutes in:

Newcastle’s opener: After Robert Sánchez parried an initial shot from Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade was perfectly positioned to fire the rebound into the open goal.

Woltemade’s brace: Despite a quiet scoring record recently, Woltemade found the net again in the 20th minute, expertly flicking Gordon’s cross past the keeper. The goal stood following a lengthy VAR review for offside.

As the first half progressed, Chelsea began to find their footing. They thought they had pulled one back when Pedro Neto found the net, but the goal was disallowed after it was determined he had used his hand.

Newcastle nearly put the game out of reach before the interval, but Woltemade missed a golden opportunity to complete his hat-trick from another dangerous Gordon delivery.

Newcastle’s vulnerability was on full display as they once again struggled to maintain a lead, a trait shared only by Brentford in terms of points lost from winning positions this season.

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Chelsea’s resurgence began shortly after the break when captain Reece James curled a precise free-kick off the woodwork and into the net. The momentum stayed with the London side, aided by a fortunate escape when Trevoh Chalobah avoided penalization for a heavy tackle on Anthony Gordon.

The comeback was completed in the 66th minute. João Pedro showcased brilliant control, latching onto a deep ball from Robert Sánchez and bypassing Malick Thiaw to coolly finish past Aaron Ramsdale.

The closing stages were frantic; James proved vital at both ends, making a goal-saving challenge on Harvey Barnes before missing a late chance to clinch a winner himself. Anthony Elanga also had a golden opportunity to steal the win for the visitors on the break, but his effort curled wide.

The result leaves Newcastle without a clean-sheet in ten matches, a worrying trend for a side that squandered a comfortable halftime advantage to remain in the bottom half of the table. Conversely, Enzo Maresca will take heart from Chelsea’s second-half fightback. Despite a recent run of just one win in five games, the draw ensures they maintain their fourth-place position heading into the next matchday.

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