Chelsea led the Premier League standings temporarily, by defeating host Newcastle United (2-0), today, Saturday, at the opening of the ninth round of the competition.

Newcastle defender Federico Fernandez scored by mistake in his team's goal in the 10th minute, before Tami Abraham strengthened Chelsea's lead in the 65th minute.

Chelsea raised its score to 18 points, temporarily in the lead on goal difference in front of Leicester City, who plays on Sunday evening against Liverpool (17 points), And one point ahead of Tottenham (17 points), who play later on Saturday evening, against Manchester City, while Newcastle remained in thirteenth place with 11 points.

Chelsea coach Frank Lampard relied on the 4-3-3 play method, as Antonio Rudiger played deep in the back line alongside Frenchman Curt Zuma, and both Reese James and Ben Chilwell were present on both sides, and Frenchman N'Golo Kante played the focal point with the help of Croatian Matteo Kovacic. , While Mason Mount moved behind the attacking trio Hakim Ziyash, Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham.

On the next side, Newcastle coach Steve Bruce resorted to a 5-4-1 method of play, where the backs Javier Mancio and Jamal Lewis were around the defense trio Federico Fernandez, Jamal Lascelles and Kiaran Clark, and Isaac Hayden and Shawn Longstaff were centered in the middle of the field, and around them were the two wings Jacob Murphy And Alan Saint-Maximin, while Guillinton stood alone as a spearhead.

Flood of opportunities

Chelsea missed an early opportunity to score in the fourth minute, when Kante passed the ball to Werner, who shot towards the lower right corner, but goalkeeper Carlo Darloo blocked the shot.

Darlow returned in the ninth minute, to push Abraham's powerful header over the crossbar after a neat cross from Ziyech, but the London team managed to open the scoring one minute later, when Mont directed a low ball in front of the goal from the right, Fernandes tried to cut it, before it reached Chilwell, but he Followed it by mistake in the net of his team.

Chelsea continued to dominate with 81% possession of the ball with the first half half, and Ziyech sent a cross, which Werner failed to follow in front of the goal in the 23rd minute.

Kovacic lost the ball in his own court, so Guilinton got the chance to face the goal, but he preferred to dodge goalkeeper Edward Mendy His ball went away in the 27th minute.

The series of wasted opportunities by Chelsea continued, as Werner fired from a solitary position next to the near post in the 31st minute, before Newcastle activated in the last quarter hour, and the ball reached Saint Maximin, who dodged in front of him without giving himself the opportunity to pay in the 31st minute

. Saint Maximin his fights, this time eluding Zuma, but his shot rebounded from Rudiger in the 35th minute, to pass the remaining minutes of the first half without threatening the two goals.

A lightning attack

, Chelsea seemed more dependent in the second half on a lightning attack, and in the 54th minute, Werner took advantage of the sluggishness of substitute defender Fabian Schar to clear the ball to snatch it from in front of him, and chose the pass for Ziyash instead of shooting in front of the opposite goal, so the defense removed his ball.

Zuma rose to the corner of Mont, but his attempt went a little far from the goal in the 55th minute, and Newcastle responded in the 60th minute when Guillinton controlled the ball inside the penalty area, before he fired from a comfortable position above the bar.

And Chelsea's second goal came in the 65th minute, when Werner made his way admirably between three defenders, before passing to Abraham, who fired a creeping ball that bounced off the near post into the goal.

Callum Hudson-Odoi entered the place of Werner in the Chelsea squad, and Mont received the ball on the right side and advanced it, before he shot near the far post in the 78th minute.

Longstaff tried his luck with a shot from outside the penalty area, which hit the crossbar in the 72nd minute, and the referee canceled a Chelsea goal scored by Werner In the 75th minute for offside.

Newcastle tried to reduce the score at the very least in the last ten minutes, and the ball reached substitute Miguel Almiron, who fired a shot that Mendy took to a corner that did not bear fruit in the 81st minute, and the other substitute Andy Carroll wasted in front of the goal in the third minute of stoppage time.