Newcastle seize Champions League momentum with win over 10-man Chelsea

With both teams level on 63 points before kick-off, this was more than just another fixture - it was a six-pointer with massive implications. And it was Newcastle who rose to the occasion.

From the opening whistle, the Magpies were sharper, quicker, and hungrier. It took less than two minutes for Sandro Tonali to pounce at the far post after a costly error from Romeo Lavia, who was dispossessed in a dangerous area. That early strike set the tone for a first half dominated by the hosts.

Chelsea's uphill battle got steeper in the 35th minute when VAR intervened on a reckless elbow from Nicolas Jackson on Sven Botman. Referee John Brooks initially showed yellow but, after a trip to the monitor, upgraded it to a red, reducing the visitors to ten men.

Despite flashes of resistance - Marc Cucurella forcing a save from Nick Pope and Reece James going close with a header - Chelsea never looked like recovering. Newcastle, by contrast, looked assured and organized.

Bruno Guimaraes put the match to bed late on with a clinical finish, sealing three crucial points and pushing Eddie Howe's side into third place, leapfrogging both Chelsea and Arsenal in the process. It was a result that not only enhanced Newcastle's Champions League credentials but also underlined their status as one of the league's most consistent sides, now matching Liverpool's 46-point haul over the last 21 games.

With two games remaining, Newcastle's grip on a top-four finish has never looked stronger - while Chelsea, reeling from a costly red card and lackluster display, face an uphill struggle to keep their European hopes alive.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca lamented Jackson's sending-off but thought his side showed plenty of spirit after going down to ten men.

"Difficult. It's already difficult 11-v-11 in this stadium, against this team. Playing one hour with 10 players has not been easy. I think the second half the team showed spirit, togetherness. I think it is from there we need to keep the same feeling, same energy for Friday's game.

"The only thing I can say is that sometimes it's too easy to take some decision in some stadiums. If the referee decides for red it's a red," said Maresca.

Despite the setback, the Blues boss refused to dwell on what had been lost, shifting attention instead to what remains in front of them - starting with their next fixture - another crucial match in their quest for a top-five finish - against Manchester United.

Meanwhile, Newcastle defender Dan Burn praised his teammates for rising to the occasion on what he described as the second biggest match of their season so far apart from the Carabao Cup.

"We knew how important today was. We said pre-match that the cup final was our biggest game of the season but this was second. It wasn't pretty but we got the job done so it doesn't really matter," said Burn.

"Sometimes it's hard when an opposition team goes down to 10 because you feel like you should dominate, we didn't want to let them back in. But the crowd were a bit nervy and I think we felt a bit nervy as well.

"We've got that big game experience in the squad now and I think we did really well to see the game out." 

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