Newcastle faced Chelsea at St. James Park as both teams prepared to continue their pursuit of Champions League football. It was a game of fine margins.

The match showed how little things determine who wins or loses in a football match. Newcastle had the lead early in the game thanks to a goal by Tonali in the second minute. That goal came as a result of a poor defensive display by the Blues. Lavia was dispossessed, and Chalobah’s inability to clear the ball allowed Tonali a chance at goal.

To make matters worse for the Blues, Jackson got a red card. For a team that was struggling to cope, they needed all the help they could get but their striker was of no help. He jabbed his elbow at Botman and after a VAR review, the original yellow was revoked for a red card.

The margins for error in this match were slim, and Chelsea has made two grave errors. 

Despite being reduced to ten men, they tried all they could and played impressively in the second half. They were the better team in the second half and deserved to take the lead. They should’ve equalized in the 84th minute of the game through Reece James but his header wouldn’t come down. That was Chelsea’s best chance in the game, and it didn’t go their way. 

After missing that chance, they were hit by Newcastle, which made all their efforts feel futile. Bruno Guimaraes scored from the edge of the box to give Newcastle their much-needed second goal.

It was a huge relief to the Magpies but Chelsea were undone and most likely not going to make UCL football with this result. The match was ultimately won by just fine margins, no room for errors or lack of concentration. The red card from Jackson also didn’t help and Chelsea will have to regroup as they play Manchester United next before hosting Nottingham Forest on the last day.