newcastle 2-0

Independent:

Hazard shapes up to starring role
Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 0:

Belgian hits the spot in another inspired performance as Chelsea continue to set early-season pace

Glenn Moore

Chelsea have not lost a Premier League match in August since 2006, 21 matches ago, and have won 12 of the last 13. As it was tipping down most of the game yesterday it would be stretching a point to suggest Chelsea play at their best with the sun on their backs but they clearly start the season superbly regardless of who the manager is.

But while their supporters will be careful not to read too much into their perfect opening to this embryonic season, the ease with which they brushed aside Newcastle yesterday suggested they will take some shifting from their position atop the Premier League table.
New signing Eden Hazard is already shaping up to be the star of the season and he scored his first goal in English football, then supplied a sixth assist, for Fernando Torres, as Chelsea made it three wins from three. "He hasn't surprised us," said Roberto Di Matteo. "We had watched him a lot last season. It's a different league, so you're not quite sure how he'll adapt to the Premier League, but he seems to have found his feet very quickly. He's a wonderful player for us."
The admiring Newcastle manager Alan Pardew agreed. " He's a difficult player because he travels with the ball and buys time," he said. "He's got a kind of nonchalance about him that marks him out as a great player. He made the right decision every time he got it today. That's what marks him out as a great player, you can tell. He made a difference to Chelsea today, from last season."
With Frank Lampard and Ramires used only from the bench, John Terry injured (a stiff neck – an odd ailment given it seems to be made of brass), and Oscar not required, the European Champions can travel to Monaco to play Atletico Madrid in Friday's Uefa Super Cup confident of mounting a sustained challenge on the domestic front. That is hardly surprising given Roman Abramovich is back in spending mode. Before kick-off Chelsea unveiled Victor Moses, their £9m recruit from Wigan. The arrival of Moses and Marseille full-back Cesar Azpilicueta takes to £80m Chelsea's summer spending.
Newcastle have fewer funds but in an indication of the club's growing squad strength Pardew changed nine of the starting XI that drew 1-1 with Atromitos of Athens in the Europa League on Thursday. Papiss Cissé, who scored twice here in the spring to create Chelsea's only home defeat of 2012, and Vurnon Anita, the Dutch midfielder signed this summer, were the exceptions. Perhaps tiredness told for Anita, who comes with a good reputation having attended the Ajax finishing school since he was nine, was the culprit for Chelsea's opening goal. The 23-year-old carelessly stuck a leg out after Torres dribbled past Davide Santon after 21 minutes. Pardew thought Torres "made a big meal" of the challenge and maybe he did but it was still a penalty.
With Lampard benched, Hazard tucked away the kick to give Chelsea a lead they just about deserved having controlled possession and kept Tim Krul busy with efforts from Hazard and Ryan Bertrand. While Chelsea moved forward as a unit, supporting each other well off the ball, Newcastle's front two were isolated. Hatem Ben Arfa showed plenty of skill but found himself marked by not one, but two England left-backs with Bertrand playing in front of Ashley Cole.
Cissé and Demba Ba are, however, a dangerous pair even when feeding off scraps and Cissé tested Petr Cech's concentration with a snap-shot towards the end of the half. Then, as injury-time ticked away, Chelsea struck again with a sublime goal. Torres received a pass from Juan Mata, fed Hazard then ran on to the Belgian's back-heeled pass before driving the ball past Krul with the outside of his boot.
"When we lost Didier we lost a big powerhouse up front," said Cole, "someone we'd knock it up to, but we've signed a few smaller players. We have to get the ball down and play, and the second goal showed what we can do".
It was a highly satisfying response for Torres to being booked for diving. The striker had turned Fabricio Coloccini in midfield then tumbled over the defender's trailing leg. There was contact but, to Torres' fury, Phil Dowd judged he had run into Coloccini deliberately.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Meireles (Lampard, 87); Mata (Ramires, 67), Hazard, Bertrand; Torres.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Krul; Simpson R Taylor, 64) S Taylor, Coloccini, Santon (Marveaux, 75); Ben Arfa, Anita, Cabaye (Perch, 77), Guttierez; Ba, Cissé.

Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the match: Hazard (Chelsea)
Match rating: 7/10


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Observer:

Eden Hazard scores first goal for Chelsea in their win over Newcastle

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have used the Premier League's opening week to deliver their own statement of intent. A lavish summer transfer outlay had hinted at regeneration, the constant reminders of Munich in May a recognition of what this club have already achieved, but it is the perfect start played out to a swashbuckling style that has turned heads. The first few skirmishes suggest the team boasts the class to unseat the Manchester clubs.
A third successive win maintained the European champions' pristine opening, with this their most impressive performance to date, given that it was achieved against a Newcastle team whose own pedigree is now well established after last season's exploits. Alan Pardew's side had dazzled themselves when visiting south-west London back in the spring, the pair of goals conjured up by Papiss Cissé that night still seared on the memory. Yet the pizzazz this time around was all Chelsea's. Their collective is a blur of attacking intent at present but the whole setup feels revived by the tricks and flicks summoned by Eden Hazard and Juan Mata, and by the form such creativity is coaxing from Fernando Torres.
This was another reminder that the Spaniard can still return to the prolific form of his early days at Liverpool and blot out his first 18 months of toil with this club.
Pardew, in defeat, conceded of Torres that this had been "one of his better games", the rival manager's praise more emotive for the manner in which the striker dispatched the second goal. "A classic," he offered, reflecting on Hazard's subtle back-heel and the instinctive, fizzed finish with the outside of Torres's right boot that flew beyond a scrabbling Tim Krul. There had been no time to think, no split second to fret, and the 28-year-old had his best Chelsea goal to date to celebrate.
There will be others like this while the London club thrive on swiftly constructed, one-touch interchanges and fluid movement. Opponents will devise ways to choke the approach, though Hazard, Mata and Torres will take some stopping. Mata, last season's player of the year, has slipped seamlessly back into last season's early form, his performances sometimes eclipsed by Hazard hogging the limelight.
Yet this team's more potent threat is invariably born of that pairing's combination play. Hazard is merely applying the gloss.
"He travels with the ball and bides time, and has that kind of nonchalance about him that marks him out as a great player," said Pardew. "He made the right decision every time he got it today, and he's made a difference to Chelsea from last season. He's given them a little bit extra."
It felt exceptional that the 21-year-old actually had no involvement in the winning of the first-half penalty from which he opened his account for the club, Torres bursting beyond Davide Santon and inducing a panicked swing from Vurnon Anita, on his Premier League debut, over which the forward duly tumbled. This was not the moment to judge Newcastle's £6.7m signing from Ajax.
The Belgian gleefully dispatched the spot-kick in the absence of the rested Frank Lampard, but his contribution will be measured in more than goals this term. In his past 21 league games for Lille and Chelsea he has taken his personal tally to 14 goals scored, 14 assists provided and seven penalties won.
Roberto Di Matteo is growing tired of thinking up new plaudits with which to appraise Hazard's displays. The manager does not seem comfortable with superlatives. "He hasn't surprised us," he said. "We watched him a lot last season and it's a different league, so you're not quite sure how he'll adapt to the Premier League, but he seems to have found his feet very quickly. He's a wonderful player for us."
Few recruited from abroad have started in this division with such assurance, and it does not feel as if he is peaking too early.
Di Matteo, in truth, was probably as heartened here by Chelsea's solidity in the absence of the injured John Terry as his side's attacking verve, the defensive frailties that had reared in pre-season and again against Reading in midweek eradicated against a Newcastle team who appeared jaded at times by Europa League endeavours just 48 hours earlier. Only two of the Newcastle side had featured against Atromitos in Greece, but it took time for them to summon a threat. Yet Cissé was peripheral, and Demba Ba was denied smartly by Petr Cech near the end.
That was as close as the visitors came, their opportunities chiselled out amid the huff and puff. Chelsea will not have that problem. The home side had paraded Victor Moses, returned to London where he was first developed in the Crystal Palace academy, before kick-off following his £9m move from Wigan. Torres may be the only senior striker on the books, but the attacking reserves this team have built up, albeit at vast expense, are staggering. On that basis alone, it feels inconceivable that Chelsea will finish 25 points from the pinnacle again this term. Instead, and even at this early stage, they feel restored as contenders.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 0

By Jason Burt, Stamford Bridge

Chelsea reached paradise when they won the Champions League last season; now they have found this other Eden. Eden Hazard, the £35 million play-maker has already turned the Premier League into his play-ground.

Still just 21, he’s no apprentice but a fully-fledged sorcerer – and one conjuring up a form of magic that is getting the best out of the one Chelsea player to cost more than him: £45 million Fernando Torres, at last, is playing well and playing confidently.

Torres scored, also, a goal of rare quality as Chelsea swept aside Newcastle United to resume the summit of the Premier League with a three-point advantage earned from having played an extra fixture. The pretence of manager Roberto Di Matteo that they should not be regarded as title contenders has been rightly exposed although while Chelsea will create chances they will also concede them.

Newcastle are no slouches and lesser teams would have crumbled but this Chelsea play at double-time with Hazard scoring his first goal for the club, a penalty, to add to the six assists he has already registered. And that’s a lot of fantasy football points for a fantasy footballer. This sceptered isle has a glittering addition; the parlour game of famous Belgians has another name.

Not so long ago Chelsea without either John Terry or Frank Lampard would have sent a shudder of apprehension through the club’s supporters but a big splash of spending, a cool £80 million this summer, and an evolving line-up meant it registered only a ripple. However while Terry was injured – a neck problem – Lampard was removed to the bench and rested. Not a scenario that he has reacted to well previously but the clock is ticking and the calendar of games comes quick and fast when you are European champions.

The two latest signings – César Azpilicueta and Victor Moses – were not secured in time to be involved but it was still interesting to see Ryan Bertrand, with an England squad to be selected next week, back in the team while Newcastle had the problem of arriving less than 48 hours, and with a 1,500 round-trip, after a Europa League tie in the taxing heat of Athens.

The seasonal adjustment was even more extreme as this encounter was placed in doubt by dark skies and an almighty pre-match downpour that then gave away to broad sunshine before the clouds returned.

The fixture itself felt equally unpredictable. Newcastle had won here last season – Chelsea’s last home defeat – through two stunning goals from Papiss Cissé and built on the campaign’s impressive body of work with a solid summer of consolidation and a fine win at home to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

There was another storm for Newcastle to weather. It came with Chelsea’s whirlwind start with Hazard the lightning quick conductor as he opened up space and created a host of half-chances.

Not that the visitors were intimidated with Hatem Ben Arfa their own trickster although Demba Ba did well to reach his flighted pass only to volley over.

Torres intervened. Firstly he teed up Bertrand, on the edge of the penalty area, who rushed his shot under Fabricio Coloccini’s lunging challenge and then, more decisively, he drove in the box himself and drew a foolish challenge from Vurnon Anita who caught him with his outstretched leg – although, undoubtedly, the striker made the most of it with his fall. The penalty was dispatched with customary cool by Hazard. A third match for Chelsea, a third penalty earned and converted.

Chelsea’s blood was up, the tempo raised and Ashley Cole stood up a cross for Branislav Ivanovic to draw a sharp save, with a header, from Tim Krul before a frighteningly quick counter-attack by Hazard led to Coloccini hacking out Juan Mata’s cross and then Hazard, soon after, blazing a shot over.

But Chelsea were not to be denied. Soon after Petr Cech had held Cissé’s snap-shot, Torres, who had grown increasingly frustrated, claiming he was being persistently fouled by Coloccini although he earned a booking for a dive, combined superbly with Hazard. The midfielder, wonderfully, back-heeled for the onrushing Torres to strike a superb first-time shot with the outside of his right-boot to beat Krul. It was, quite possibly, the best goal he has scored since signing for Chelsea. It was cruel blow – and a blow to Krul – right on the stroke of half-time.

It was no stroll for Chelsea. Newcastle proved a test with Ben Arfa dragging a shot wide as manager Alan Pardew demanded a response. Ba almost found one with the ball breaking to him and an angled shot bundled away by Cech while Cissé, wastefully, headed over a free-kick.

But Newcastle’s admirable intent left them in danger of falling further behind, prey to Chelsea’s pace and Hazard’s trickery on the break while fatigue was becoming a factor leading to Pardew running through his substitutions and two of those Sylvain Marveaux and Ryan Taylor combined to create for Ba who mis-kicked then got another chance – only to shoot weakly at Cech. He should have scored.

By now, Chelsea had stepped off. But the contest was over.


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Mail:

Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0: Hazard and Torres make it three on the bounce for the Blues

By Ian Stafford

Another masterclass from the impressive Eden Hazard and another win for Chelsea, who sit top of the Premier League on Sunday morning having won all three of their opening fixtures. But what may disturb the Londoners’ main title rivals more is the fact that Fernando Torres is scoring goals again.
The £50million purchase from Liverpool two seasons ago has endured a public goal drought since, although he ended last season with 11 in all competitions. But last night he produced a sensational strike to make it three goals in four games, after also scoring in the Community Shield defeat by Manchester City.

If his goal on Wednesday against Reading was clearly from an offside position, there was nothing fortuitous about his effort on Saturday, scored with the outside of his right boot from the edge of the penalty box, after a clever back-pass from Hazard, that sent the ball spiralling into the top corner of the net.

It was a creation of the old and the new, with Hazard, who is already suggesting that he may be the best signing of the summer, the incisive provider for Torres.
And with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich happy to spend £80m to launch an assault on the title to add to their Champions League and  FA Cup triumphs in May, Chelsea appear to be a serious proposition.
And so the team that won ugly previously is turning it on - a necessity with the departure of the physical Didier Drogba in the summer and the arrival of smaller, technical players such as Hazard.

‘Didier was a big powerhouse, but now we’ve got to get the ball down more and play,’ said Ashley Cole. ‘Fernando found it hard to get enough games under his belt last season but he has returned from the European Championship confident and we’re all benefiting from it.

‘And Eden deserves a lot of credit. In three games he has won us two penalties, had two assists and scored a goal. I’m proud he’s in our team.’
Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo said: ‘Fernando was important to us last season, even if he didn’t score the goals he wanted to. But it’s good to see him scoring now and his goal tonight was fantastic.
‘We’re trying to change our style a bit this season and adapt to our new players like Eden. We knew all about his qualities, having watched him last season and seeing him in training, but you never quite know how quickly a player from a different league will adapt to the Premier League. Eden has found his feet very quickly. He’s a wonderful player for us.’
His counterpart at Newcastle, Alan Pardew, is another member of the Hazard fan club. ‘He has made a difference to Chelsea that’s for sure,’ said Pardew. ‘He has a nonchalance about him that marks him out to be a great player. As for Torres, his goal tonight was classy. It’s good news for Chelsea.

It is only three games into the new season but Torres seems hellbent on ensuring that his wish - to be top after 10 games if his team are serious about regaining a title they last won in 2010 - comes true. His club appear to be in tune with him.
It was Newcastle who inflicted a rare defeat on Chelsea last May, with Papiss Cisse scoring one of the goals of the season. The Toon also started well last week with a win over Tottenham, even if Pardew’s push on a linesman is likely to result in a touchline ban.

They also managed a draw against Atromitos in Athens in the Europa League, less than 48 hours before running out at Stamford Bridge, a disadvantage Pardew was quick to point out. ‘It has proven beyond doubt that players cannot play to the same level twice in less than three days,’ he said.

At first there was little to choose between the teams but, in the 21st minute, Hazard scored the first of what will be many for his new club, drilling home a penalty into the corner of the net after Torres was felled by the outstretched leg of Vurnon Anita.
Frank Lampard would probably have been the man to have taken the spot-kick, but he was on the bench, being saved for Friday’s European Super Cup against Atletico Madrid in Monaco. Instead, he sat and watched Chelsea’s £32m signing from Lille hand the Londoners the lead.

Behind Lampard, who was given just a few minutes run-out at the end of the game, sat club captain John Terry, out with a neck injury.

Torres continued to be in the thick of it, too, thinking he was through on goal only to be felled - seemingly - by Fabricio Coloccini’s challenge. Instead, referee Phil Dowd booked the Spaniard for a dive. The striker may have been furious at the time but he was smiling two minutes into first-half stoppage-time when he saw his fabulous shot fly past the outstretched hand of Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul and into the net.

Hazard’s assist simply added to his remarkable recent stats that read: 14 goals, 14 assists and seven penalties won in his last 21 league games in France and now England.

Newcastle knew they needed a quick reply after the break but, although they increased their efforts, they barely troubled Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal, until Ba’s low shot six minutes from time, as the inevitability of Chelsea’s win became apparent.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle United: Hazard lights up the show again

The Belgian playmaker has now made eight assists and scored one goal in only two appearances for the Blues this season

Matt Law

Eden Hazard must be pretty special. Not only has he started his first Premier League season on fire – he’s also got Fernando Torres looking like a world-class striker again.
Chelsea maintained their 100 per cent start to the season and remained top of the table thanks to another brilliant show from Hazard.
He scored his first Blues goal from the penalty that Torres won and then returned the favour by producing a superb backheel from which the Spaniard scored.
It seems ridiculous to be talking of a £32million player as being a potential bargain, but Chelsea already know it was money well spent on Hazard.
Chelsea owner Roman ­Abramovich wants exciting ­football and a goalscoring Torres. Hazard may well have satisfied both cravings.
You almost had to feel sorry for Newcastle’s summer signing Vurnon Anita, who suffered a nightmare first Premier League start at the hands of Hazard and Torres.
It only took 21 minutes for Anita’s full League debut to turn sour, as he conceded the penalty from which Chelsea took a vital lead.
Torres was tripped by Anita as he advanced into the Newcastle penalty area and referee Phil Dowd pointed straight to the spot.
With Frank Lampard, who scored penalties in the victories over Wigan and Reading, ­watching from the bench, Hazard stepped up to score his first ­Chelsea goal.
It had been Hazard who had won the spot-kicks from which Lampard scored in Chelsea’s first two Premier League games.
Despite being sent from the touchline last week and being charged by the FA for ­shoving assistant referee Peter Kirkup, Newcastle boss Pardew was in the visitors’ dug-out ­yesterday ahead of an expected two-game touchline ban.
But Pardew was not a happy man for much of the game, as Newcastle struggled to find their rhythm or cause Chelsea too many problems.
Newcastle were lucky not to find themselves two goals behind 10 minutes before the half-time break, as Fabricio Coloccini came to the visitors’ rescue. Hazard played the ball to Juan Mata down the left and his cross was just asking to be poked into the net before Coloccini ­appeared from nowhere to clear.
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul was then grateful to see Hazard’s 20-yard shot fly just a few inches off target.
The Chelsea bench were ­incensed when Torres was booked for diving by Dowd after he appeared to have been caught by the lunging ­Coloccini.
The home fans sang: “You’re too fat to referee”, which even provoked a smile from the ­official.
Papiss Cisse scored two wonder strikes at Stamford Bridge last season and he ­produced Newcastle’s first serious effort on goal in the 44th minute by turning to shoot straight at ­Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.
But things went from bad to worse for Pardew and his team three minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half and, surprise, surprise, that man ­Hazard was involved again.
This time Hazard produced a sublime backheel for Torres to send a brilliantly struck shot into the net. You get the feeling these two are going to enjoy playing together.
Chelsea’s new £9m signing ­Victor Moses had been paraded on the Stamford Bridge pitch ahead of kick-off and he must have been watching from the stands wondering how he will get into manager Roberto Di Matteo’s side.
Torres almost grabbed a second goal for himself from a Mata cross but, this time, the striker could not quite scramble his close-range effort over the line.
Newcastle clearly missed the midfield bite of Cheick Tiote, who was out with a calf injury. But Chelsea bossed possession far too easily.
David Luiz, in for the injured John Terry, and Raul Meireles both fired free-kicks high over the crossbar from promising ­positions, while Ryan Bertrand had a long-range shot tipped wide by Krul.
Demba Ba almost pulled back a late consolation for Newcastle, but Hazard and Torres had ­already done their damage by then.


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Sun:

Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0

By MARK IRWIN

BEATING Barcelona in their own backyard and winning the Champions League is one thing — but getting Fernando Torres to play like a £50million striker? Now that really is a miracle.
Yet Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has achieved the seemingly impossible by reviving the fortunes of a player who looked a dead loss less than six months ago.
When Torres threw his toys out of the pram in Munich while his team-mates celebrated with the European Cup, it seemed he had burned his Stamford bridges once and for all.
Yet Di Matteo has not just forgiven the stroppy senor for his outburst, he has gone out of his way to make him his main man.
And Britain’s most expensive footballer is finally starting to respond to his manager’s show of faith with the sort of performances expected from him when he first arrived in that record-breaking move from Liverpool 19 months ago.

Since Didier Drogba’s departure for the Far East, Torres’ form for the Blues has been little short of a revelation.
Goals against Manchester City in the Community Shield and again in the 4-2 midweek win over Reading were proof the Spaniard was starting to relish the responsibility which is being heaped onto his shoulders.
But those strikes were just the prelude to arguably his most impressive display in Chelsea’s No 9 shirt.
With the help of the wonderful Eden Hazard, Torres took Newcastle apart to keep his team firmly on top of the table.
He scored the second, won the penalty for the opener and made life a misery for Fabricio Coloccini in the Toon captain’s first appearance of the season.

Now the onus is firmly on the £180,000-a-week striker to maintain this level of performance on a regular basis.

For the first 20 minutes, Torres was more provider than finisher as he selflessly teed up John Obi Mikel and then Ryan Bertrand.
But then he glided effortlessly past Davide Santon to provoke a rash challenge from Vurnon Anita just inside the area.
There was no doubt Torres made the most of Anita’s naive lunge but, just as indisputable, was the fact the Dutchman made enough contact for ref Phil Dowd to point straight to the spot.
With Frank Lampard surprisingly starting on the bench, it was left to Hazard to take over the penalty-taker’s duty.
The £32million Belgian international had already won spot-kicks in Chelsea’s previous wins against Wigan and Reading.
And he was lethal from 12 yards, drilling his 22nd-minute shot powerfully wide of Tim Krul and into the bottom corner.
Torres was convinced there should have been further disciplinary action against Newcastle’s creaking defence when he pushed the ball past Coloccini and was taken out by the Argentine’s trailing leg to deny him a clear run on goal.
Yet Dowd waved played on and then, to add insult to injury, booked Torres for diving.
It was the kind of decision that would have sent Torres deep into his shell during his long barren spell last season.

But this time he came back with the perfect response with a sublime goal in first-half injury time to effectively end this match as a competition.
And once again it was his burgeoning relationship with Hazard which opened up the visitors’ defence. Torres’ short pass to Hazard was instantly returned into his path by a sublime backheel from the recent arrival from Lille.
And with Coloccini scared to stick a foot in for fear of conceding another penalty, Torres struck with the outside of his right boot to send the ball curling into the top corner.
It was a moment to remember for the delirious Blues supporters, who have always stuck by their man even when previous managers Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas appeared to have given up on him.
Their loyalty was further rewarded by an outrageous backheeled cross midway through the second half, which really deserved better than a last-ditch clearance by Steven Taylor.

Newcastle never seriously threatened to repeat their memorable victory at the Bridge in May, which effectively ensured they finished above Chelsea in the league last season.
They had a brief chance to get back on level terms shortly before Torres’ goal when David Luiz was robbed by Danny Simpson trying to dribble the ball out of his own area.
But Papiss Cisse’s shot on the turn was straight down the throat of Chelsea keeper Petr Cech and comfortably saved.
Demba Ba forced a couple more decent saves from Cech after half-time but they were rare moments from a team who were easily beaten.
Having only returned from a Europa League qualifier in Greece on Friday morning, it was hardly surprising that some of Alan Pardew’s players looked so jaded.
So the last thing they needed was to run straight into a revitalised Torres with a point to prove to all of us critics.

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Express:

CHELSEA 2 - NEWCASTLE UNITED 0: IT'S PITCH PERFECT FOR ROBERTO DI MATTEO
By Jim Holden

THREE matches. Three wins. After this perfect start, it’s time for Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo to forget the foolish pretence that his team won’t be genuine title contenders in the Premier League this season.
It’s not just that a thoroughly revitalised Fernando Torres is playing like a world-class striker. It’s not merely the £80million spent on exciting new stars like Eden Hazard.
It’s not even that Chelsea are the reigning champions of Europe, as their supporters were keen to remind the rest of English football.
No, what makes Di Matteo’s team credible challengers to both Manchester clubs is the style of their play and the sheer quality of their attacking football.
At times they played with delightful invention against tough opponents in Newcastle – not least in the second goal by Torres that sealed the victory.
Oh, yes, there’s also the depth of their squad, reinforced again on Friday by the signing of Victor Moses, who was paraded in front of the crowd before kick-off and must have then watched wondering how he could possibly get into the team.
The tone was set from the start. Newcastle barely touched the ball in the first eight minutes as Chelsea asserted swift and complete control of the game, even though it was easy to argue they had three superior midfielders on the substitutes’ bench to those on the field.
Oscar, the brilliant young Brazilian, for example, was watching from the sidelines. Yet converted full-back Ray Bertrand was revelling in his new forward role and tested the keeper with a shot after good work by Torres.
The only question was how long it would take Chelsea to score. The answer was 22 minutes. Torres, inevitably, was the catalyst, darting skilfully into the box and being tripped by Vurnon Anita.
Hazard dispatched the penalty with confidence and class to notch his first goal for the club. It was Chelsea’s third spot-kick in successive games, a consequence of players driving hard into the area and testing opponents.
Leading the line with huge relish was the rejuvenated Torres. Manager Di Matteo’s psychology has been vindicated in declaring the Spaniard to be the main man of the Chelsea attack this season.
Torres won almost every ball in the air, he was ever-willing to run at defenders and his first touch was often sublime. The one blot was a yellow card for what referee Phil Dowd thought was a dive when Torres collided with the boot of Newcastle skipper Fabio Coloccini.
TV replays failed to provide a definitive verdict; foul, or a striker looking for a foul? The booking was probably too strong from the ref.
Whatever the view about that incident, there could be no doubting the exuberant excellence of Chelsea’s second goal in first-half stoppage time. It was the perfect finish to an intelligent passing move.
Torres tipped the ball to Hazard, whose instant backheeled flick allowed the striker a moment’s time and space to steer home a shot with the outside of his right boot.
A fabulous goal was fine reward for Chelsea’s dominance. Newcastle had only one effort on goal in the opening period, a snapshot by Papiss Cisse straight at keeper Petr Cech.
The frustration of manager Alan Pardew was plain on the touchline. Di Matteo was content for the most part to relax in his dugout seat.
Chelsea sat back more after the break, trusting in their defensive strength and their class on the counter-attack.
Demba Ba forced Cech into one save with a shot on the hour, but serious threat from Newcastle was limited. Cech finally had to make a proper save in the 84th minute, diving to his right to keep out another Ba effort.
At the other end, Bertrand had a stinging shot deflected just wide, while Hazard and Torres continued the business of forging what looks likely to be a productive and entertaining partnership.
Chelsea are exciting going forward and stingy in defence. It looks like a title-chasing recipe in any language.


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