Newcastle 0 Chelsea 3:AS USUAL André Villas-Boas spent much of the afternoon crouching by the touchline for sustained periods. Few of the Chelsea manager's Premier League peers would dare to try to emulate a pose which, quite apart from imposing an alarming strain on the knees, demands excellent balance. But Villas-Boas clearly delights in actively embracing risk.
If the 34-year-old remains unworried about the possibility of toppling over one day in an undignified technical area heap, he seems similarly unfazed by the dangers inherent in alienating, among others, Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka and Alex.
As Villas-Boas sets about the tricky task of culling the Stamford Bridge old guard and replacing them with fresh young legs while, somehow, simultaneously challenging for silverware, he has taken the extraordinary step of asking the transfer-listed Anelka and Alex to train separately from the rest of the squad. This request was made to the newly unwanted pair during what the former Porto manager described as “a frontal conversation”.
While Lampard is still too valuable to be consigned to the deep freeze – although he could be swapped for Tottenham’s Luka Modric in January – the England midfielder must accept the previously unaccustomed indignity of being rotated.
Judging by the quite magnificent smouldering evident in Lampard’s eyes as he struggled to contain evident fury at being replaced by Raul Meireles after 60 minutes, Villas-Boas is walking a political and emotional tightrope.
Yet after arriving on slightly shaky footing, the Portuguese departed in a more stable mode; even if things could have been different had David Luiz been sent off for an early professional foul on Demba Ba.
On a day when the thoughts of many on Tyneside were with the family of the late Gary Speed, the Newcastle manager, Alan Pardew, said referee Mike Dean had acknowledged he had been mistaken in showing the erratic Brazilian defender a yellow rather than a red card.
It represented a lucky break for Chelsea but they took their time to capitalise. Although Tim Krul produced a string of brilliant saves to deny Daniel Sturridge a hat-trick and Lampard from the penalty spot, for long periods Newcastle looked worth at least a point.
They might have earned one had the immaculate Fabricio Coloccini not limped off with a first-half thigh strain. With James Perch on in the Argentinian’s central defensive stead, Didier Drogba suddenly materialised to head Chelsea’s opener following Ashley Cole’s disputed throw and Juan Mata’s cross.
Pardew’s replacement of the disappointing Hatem Ben Arfa at half-time with Shola Ameobi ruffled a Chelsea defence that was further disconcerted by the introduction of Ameobi’s excitingly creative younger brother, Sammy.
While Shola struck the bar with a terrific shot from the edge of the area, Sammy’s effort from the rebound forced John Terry to clear his left-footed volley off the line.
For all Krul’s earlier goalkeeping heroics, Chelsea were wobbling and a contemplative Villas-Boas wrinkled his nose in concern. On came Fernando Torres and, despite exhibiting a worrying penalty area hesitancy, the striker’s distracting movement helped create space for Salomon Kalou and Sturridge to register late goals.
It was only Newcastle’s second Premier League defeat of the season – the other came at Manchester City – but, already without the injured Cheik Tiote and suspended Jonas Gutierrez, Pardew’s side could not quite withstand the loss of Coloccini and Steven Taylor, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon.
The latter’s absence for the rest of the campaign will place the spotlight on a defence in which, without Gutierrez around to protect him, Ryan Taylor’s out-of-position deployment at left-back was highlighted by Sturridge.
- Guardian Service
