LONDON: Newcastle United condemned Chelsea to their second defeat in four days with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday, settled by a first-half breakaway goal by Anthony Gordon.
Stinging from a 5-2 Champions League defeat at Paris St Germain, Liam Rosenior's side showed more defensive frailties when Joe Willock easily beat the offside trap and squared for Gordon to finish in the 18th minute.
After the home fans booed their team off at the break, Chelsea upped the intensity but their chances were largely smothered by Newcastle's organised back line.
The closest the hosts came to scoring was in the 93rd minute when captain Reece James hit the post from a free kick.
Rosenior said his team failed to press Newcastle in the build-up to their goal.
"They had nothing in the game and we gave them a goal," he told reporters. "In that moment, we make a mistake and it feels at the moment every mistake we're making is ending up in the back of our net and we need to make sure that we stop those mistakes."
The defeat kept Chelsea in fifth place with their main challengers for the spots in next season's Champions League, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool, playing on Sunday. Newcastle, who had not won at Stamford Bridge since 2012, climbed three places to ninth, six points behind Chelsea.
Rosenior must now try to lift the morale of his players for the huge challenge of turning around a three-goal deficit against PSG in the Champions League second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Newcastle face Barcelona away on Wednesday with their tie level at 1-1.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Saturday's win was just the result his players needed for the trip to the Nou Camp.
"I think we needed to win today to give us any chance of winning at Barcelona and progressing through the Champions League," he told reporters. "It's such a difficult game, but you need that confidence that winning gives you."
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