Newcastle 5-1

Independent:

Blues on fire as Diego Costa sparks rout

Chelsea 5 Newcastle 1

Miguel Delaney Stamford Bridge

Chelsea look like the champions they are again, Pedro looks like the player he was at Barcelona again but yesterday that might have had something to do with the fact that woeful Newcastle United look like prime candidates for relegation again. Steve McClaren’s side made this win so easy for Chelsea, although there was one complication after John Terry went off injured in the first half.

The Chelsea captain was involved in an early collision with Aleksandar Mitrovic and is a doubt for Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 match at Paris Saint-Germain. Otherwise, this was the perfect preparation for that game as the Blues finally began to purr again.

Diego Costa and Willian were both brilliant again, scoring one each, but it was Pedro who soared above everyone by hitting twice.

This win made it two months unbeaten for Chelsea – their last defeat was in Jose Mourinho’s last match, 2-1 away at Leicester City – but this was still Guus Hiddink’s first home win in the league.

If Chelsea’s form is still somewhat patchy, that has not been the case with Costa. In just the fifth minute, the Spain striker hit his eighth goal in 11 games, and his classic striker’s finish bore all the characteristics of a player performing with confidence.

Costa may be wearing a mask, but he was not hiding, relentlessly chasing down everything throughout the game. The wonder here was how Newcastle’s defence did not do more to chase Willian. The playmaker turned Cheick Tioté and just strode through the opposition half so easily. That kind of haplessness was a sign of things to come from Newcastle, as Costa then turned Willian’s pass past goalkeeper Rob Elliot to make it 1-0.

From that point, it seemed certain to get a lot worse for McClaren’s side in terms of the scoreline, but staggeringly their overall play also got worse. The second goal – coming just four minutes later – was a case study in atrocious play, even if Pedro’s sprint and finish were brilliant.

From Newcastle’s corner, the ball was cleared to the halfway line and Steven Taylor gave the Spanish winger a clear run on goal by playing a terrible pass straight into his path. Pedro had himself thundered forward from his own box, but he finished the move with a precise low finish into the corner from distance.

Newcastle were all over the place and, by the 17th minute, Chelsea again capitalised to make it 3-0. Costa returned the earlier favour for Willian, being afforded the space to play a precise ball across the box for the Brazilian to slide the ball past Elliot from close range.

Chelsea were by now enjoying themselves, and Branislav Ivanovic began displaying his technique in the Newcastle box, while Terry tried to score from a flick. The captain had not recovered from his earlier collision with Mitrovic, however, and went off after 37 minutes, to be replaced by Baba Rahman. It did not look good when Terry went straight down the tunnel.

Chelsea had one eye on Tuesday’s match as Newcastle even launched some attacks at the start of the second half. Typically, however, they ended up conceding the next goal. Again, despite the quality of Chelsea’s attacking moves, so much of it was down to Newcastle’s lack of defensive structure. Cesc Fabregas was afforded the freedom of the midfield, just as Willian had been in the first half, and that allowed the Catalan to pick his pass precisely. He played an arching ball over for Pedro, who took it down expertly and slid it past Elliot.

A near-perfect performance then had the near-perfect ending, as  20-year-old youth graduate Bertrand Traoré came off the bench to score his first goal for the club.

Andros Townsend did slightly spoil it for the home fans with a fine consolation goal – his first since his £12m move from Tottenham – and Chelsea must hope their week isn’t spoiled by injury to their captain.

Teams

Chelsea: (4-2-3-1) Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (Baba, 37), Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Hazard, Willian (Loftus-Cheek, 80), Pedro; Costa (Traoré, 60).

Newcastle: (4-2-3-1) Elliot; Janmaat, Taylor, Coloccini, Aarons; Shelvey, Tioté; Sissoko, Wijnaldum (Colback, 45), Townsend; Mitrovic (Doumbia, 70).

Referee: Roger East

Man of the match: Willian (Chelsea)

Match rating: 7/10


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Observer:

Pedro’s pair fuel Chelsea’s 5-1 rout of wretched Newcastle

Chelsea 5 - 1 Newcastle

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

It takes performances as pathetic as this to drain any optimism generated by a lavish mid-season outlay on attacking talent. Newcastle United looked a depressingly dysfunctional side here, a team devoid of defensive steel as they crumpled obligingly to present Guus Hiddink with a first league win at home in his second spell as Chelsea’s interim manager. Subsiding in these parts might not normally be cause for huge alarm, but the champions have not been permitted to purr like this all season.

Newcastle were feeble, their first half performance in particular the kind that invites demotion. If Chelsea lost interest at times, a 12th match without defeat assured and thoughts drifting to Paris and the Champions League, they could still rouse themselves at will. The combination between Bertrand Traoré and César Azpilicueta seven minutes from the end proved as much, the pair scything through for the youngster to register a first Premier League goal. Chelsea have not been as high as 12th for four months though, in truth, this was as easy a thrashing as they could hope to inflict. A gentle warm-up for a testing tie ahead.

Steve McClaren has his own challenges to confront. His team depart for a training camp in La Manga scarred by a sixth successive away defeat in all competitions, restored to the bottom three and with Sunderland, local rivals on an upward curve, breathing down their necks.

This was shambolic, a disgusting display lacking poise, leadership, discipline or fight. The same criticisms were levelled at the majority of these players after they succumbed to the same scoreline at Crystal Palace back in November. They were sunk from the opening exchanges, their performance summed up by Cheick Tioté’s dawdling in midfield, or the sight of their centre-halves seemingly ploughing through a quagmire as home players gleefully skipped across the surface at pace.

It actually felt dangerous to pass judgement on Chelsea given how obliging these opponents had proved to be. Certainly Paris Saint-Germain – aside from being encouraged by the twinge to the right thigh suffered by John Terry which forced him prematurely from the fray and will require a scan on Sunday – will have learned little other than that the Premier League champions can still be expansive when permitted to revel. They could run riot here without breaking into a sweat as Newcastle’s resistance extended no further than taking the kick-off.

They had been punctured by Chelsea’s first attack of any significance, Willian gliding away from his marker just inside the Newcastle half and then sliding a pass inside the hapless Fabricio Coloccini to infiltrate a ragged back-line. Diego Costa, the latest home player to sport a Zorro-style protective facial mask, held off Steven Taylor and clipped a first-time shot back across the on-rushing Rob Elliot that dribbled agonisingly into the corner of the net. The goal was Costa’s seventh in eight Premier League games.

Newcastle were split with every forward pass, as Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro left them dizzied. The locals sensed panic in visiting ranks. Rolando Aarons, a winger filling in unconvincingly at left-back, was culpable for the second after an attacking free-kick had been hooked back to the halfway line. The 20-year-old misplaced his pass towards Daryl Janmaat, Pedro collecting and scurrying away while the Dutch international slumped to the turf in disbelief. By the time he had picked himself up Pedro had converted crisply from just outside the penalty area.

The ease with which Costa outpaced Coloccini, then cut back inside to slide a pass across the area for Willian to score the third, was disturbing. Tioté had allowed the Brazilian the freedom of Stamford Bridge to glide up-field and convert and, for all that the visiting players held impromptu arm-flapping inquests at each break of play, their deficiencies remained. Pedro and Branislav Ivanovic should have added to the lead, though no team this slack at the back can hope to resist for long.

All it took was Cesc Fàbregas’s lofted pass, arcing over Taylor, to open them up again. Pedro darted in behind the centre-half, collected on his chest and dispatched a fourth beyond Elliot. Traoré had added a fifth before Andros Townsend dispatched a consolation from distance, though that meant little. Newcastle departed the turf battered and bruised, and even the prospect of a friendly against Lillestrom in Spain will not be appealing. By the time their campaign resumes at Stoke next month, they must have rediscovered a backbone.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 5 Newcastle 1, match report: Five-star Chelsea humiliate Steve McClaren as relegation fears grow

Newcastle United produced a defensive performance that screamed relegation against a swaggering Chelsea

By Matt Law,

Steve McClaren has suffered his fair share of footballing humiliations, but this will rank among the worst as his Newcastle United team produced a defensive performance that screamed relegation.
Goals from Chelsea’s masked hitman Diego Costa, Pedro Rodriguez, Willian and substitute Bertrand Traore plunged Newcastle into the relegation zone and heaped more pressure on manager McClaren.

Newcastle have now lost six successive games on the road, but it was the manner of this pathetic defeat, rather than the bad away run, that should have McClaren worried.

The standard of defending was not just bad, it was completely unacceptable and Newcastle look a hopeless case if they have to rely on their calamitous captain Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor, only just back from injury, for the rest of the season.
McClaren takes his squad to La Manga for a training camp this week, where they will play a friendly against Lillestrom, but it will require more than warm weather to cure the cold reality of Newcastle’s problems.

“I’ve told the players don’t let that derail us,” said McClaren. “We have 18 days before our next game now – three or four players should return from injury and we can work on others in terms of fitness, and getting some defenders back in. We are getting a consistency at home, but we need to pick up some points away from home. There are 12 cup finals to come. We’ve got to stay calm and stable."

McClaren had said that he would not be pleased with a point at Stamford Bridge, but even the slightest hope of Newcastle taking anything off Chelsea was extinguished in 16 disastrous minutes for the visitors that raised more question marks over why the team’s defence was not significantly strengthened in January.

For a club that supposedly had a good transfer window with the signings of midfielder Jonjo Shelvey and winger Andros Townsend, Newcastle still have a defence that lacks shape, cohesion and quality, and could ultimately send them down.
How Coloccini remains a Premier League defender is anybody’s guess, but this was a horror show that featured the entire back-line and supposed defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote, rather than just the Argentine.

Guus Hiddink was delighted to have secured his first home victory in his second spell in charge of Chelsea, but the Blues suffered a fitness scare over captain John Terry ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

Terry was forced off with a hamstring problem after tangling with Aleksandar Mitrovic and will be scanned on Sunday to determine whether or not he has a chance of playing in Paris. Already without Kurt Zouma for the rest of the season, Hiddink needs good news.
“Tomorrow we'll know,” said Hiddink. “We hope it's a small muscular problem. Midweek is already Tuesday, so we just have two days to recover. Teams need at least three days, but we don't have that. We'll see what the outcome (of the scan) is.”

Chelsea already had the game wrapped up by the time Terry limped off in the 37th minute thanks in main to Newcastle’s inadequacies.
In just the fourth minute, Willian played in Costa, who was not impeded by the mask protecting his broken nose and beat Taylor to the ball to slide it past goalkeeper Rob Elliot.
McClaren headed straight into the tunnel to watch a replay of the first goal and he was only back in his seat for five minutes before there was even worse to see from his side.

Rolando Aarons attempted a ridiculous pass intended for Daryl Janmaat, but succeeded only in sending the returning Pedro through on goal and the former Barcelona forward gave Elliot no chance with a low shot into the corner of the net.

This time Newcastle held out for all of seven minutes more before they conceded again. Costa, hardly known for a blistering turn of pace, beat Coloccini to a ball he should not have got to and passed for Willian, who Tiote had given up tracking. The Brazilian made no mistake to net Chelsea’s third.
Tiote is apparently wanted by clubs in China before the closure of their transfer window on February 26. Newcastle should offer to pay the airfare.

McClaren reacted to the fact his team somehow needed to score three goals to have any chance of securing the point he claimed would not be good enough by taking off top scorer Georginio Wijnaldum at the half-time break.
Wijnaldum, who has scored nine goals this season, was replaced by midfielder Jack Colback, who is yet to hit the back of the net.

Newcastle started the second half slightly better, although they could not have been any worse. Cesar Azpilicueta, wearing his own protective mask, blocked a Shelvey shot before Mitrovic fired an angled drive wide.

But the prospect of Newcastle rescuing any sort of pride was extinguished in the 59th minute as the visitors’ defence parted for the fourth time. Cesc Fabregas hit a high pass over the top and Taylor succeeded only in jumping under the ball, allowing Pedro to run on to the ball and score his second of the game.
Jamaal Lascelles took over from the appalling Tiote, as Newcastle switched to a back five in an attempt to limit the damage, while another of the club’s attacking January signings, striker Seydou Doumbia, was sent on to make his first appearance for the club with 20 minutes remaining.

But it was a Chelsea substitute, Traore, who managed to make an impact on the game as the forward netted his first Premier League goal from Azpilicueta’s cross.
Townsend pulled a goal back for Newcastle at the death, but the shake of the head, rather than a celebration, from the former Tottenham Hotspur man told its own story.


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Mail:

Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle: Pedro nets brace as Blues cruise to emphatic victory over Magpies at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea cruised to a 5-1 victory over Premier League strugglers Newcastle at Stamford Bridge

By OLIVER HOLT

The masks that a number of Chelsea players have worn during the past few uncertain months started to feel some time ago like symbols of the fact that they have performed like champions in disguise for much of this strangely unpredictable Premier League season.

Diego Costa was the latest to sport one of them on Saturday after sustaining a broken nose in what was called, euphemistically, a 'duel' with a teammate in training. Gradually, though, the need for disguise is diminishing and against Newcastle, Chelsea unveiled themselves in much of last season's glory.
They have not lost now since Jose Mourinho left the club before Christmas and Guus Hiddink took over. Their progress, pockmarked with draws, has hardly been spectacular but the recovery has been steady and against Newcastle, it accelerated fast.

Newcastle, it must be pointed out, are a desperately poor side. If this was the best they could muster after watching their relegation rivals, Sunderland, close the gap on them at the bottom with a morale-boosting win over Manchester United, then one fears for their ability to beat the drop.
In fact, maybe Newcastle's players should don the masks instead. They could do with something to hide their blushes. They were, frankly, an embarrassment to themselves. Their inability to deal with Chelsea's attacks was one thing. Their unwillingness to match Chelsea's effort or desire was quite another.

The scale of this defeat pushed Newcastle down into the relegation zone on goal difference below Norwich City. They will have to improve dramatically if they are going to escape. Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend, their new signings, already look like men adrift. Adrift and bereft, wondering what the hell they have got themselves into.

When Townsend scored a late goal for his new team to make the score 5-1, he did not even think about celebrating. He simply turned around and walked back towards the centre circle, shaking his head in dismay at the farrago that had just unfolded. Don't call his goal a consolation because it didn't provide any consolation to anyone.

After the match, Newcastle's embattled boss Steve McClaren manfully tried to eke the positives out of a putrid display. It was a struggle. 'We can't let this derail us,' he said. 'We have to stick together.' When he was asked whether some might view the club leaving for a warm-weather trip to Spain as a reward for such a crushing, limp reverse, McClaren bristled. 'People say it's a warm-weather trip,' McAllen said, 'but it could be pouring down where we're going.'

It certainly started raining goals early at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had taken the lead within the opening five minutes after Willian had wriggled away from his marker in midfield and slipped a pass through to Costa, who had made a strong run into the area. Costa slid to meet the ball and hooked it expertly past Rob Elliot. It was his seventh goal in his last eight league appearances.
They went further ahead three minutes later as Newcastle pressed down hard on the self-destruct button. First of all, Shelvey underhit a free kick woefully and it was cleared upfield. Rolando Aarons brought it under control but passed it square towards Daryl Janmaat. That was underhit, too, and Pedro intercepted it and ran 30 yards before curling it past Elliot.

It was the kind of half where every Chelsea attack seemed to lead to a goal or a gilt-edged chance. They were 3-0 up after 17 minutes and this one was the best so far. Costa broke from midfield and beat Fabricio Coloccini to a through ball. Costa saw Willian bursting into the box and threaded a perfectly weighted pass into his path and the Brazilian slammed it past Elliot.

Even aside from their laughable defending, Newcastle were appalling. They were disjointed and disinterested. Aleksandar Mitrovic seemed to think going nose to nose with John Terry counted for something.
Mitrovic's foul on Terry midway through the half forced the Chelsea skipper off before half time but the Newcastle supporters might have preferred it if Mitrovic had looked at any point before then as if he was going to climb out of Terry's pocket.

Chelsea should have been six up by half time. Branislav Ivanovic scuffed a fine opportunity after a pull-back from Eden Hazard and Pedro shot tamely at Elliot when Costa played him clean through. It didn't matter. Newcastle were so poor Chelsea simply toyed with them.
They improved a little after half time, which may have been partly due to Terry's absence. With Kurt Zouma out for six months, Chelsea now face central defensive worries as they approach this week's Champions League tie with PSG in Paris. Ivanovic deputised alongside Gary Cahill in the second half.
Newcastle actually managed a couple of shots in the minutes after the interval but then they allowed the outstanding Cesc Fabregas the freedom of midfield and his lofted ball over the top of the visiting defence embarrassed Steven Taylor as he tried and failed to head it clear. Pedro took the ball on his chest and drilled it past Elliot.

The game lost momentum after that. Thinking of the match in France on Tuesday night, Hiddink took Costa off and replaced him with Bertrand Traore and Chelsea began to stroke passes around as if they were playing a lazy game of keep-ball on the training ground at Cobham.
Newcastle made a half-hearted effort to respond but Shelvey spent most of the second half gesturing at his teammates in apparent dismay. He knows now there aren't any other leaders in this Newcastle team. If anyone is going to rally them, he is going to have to do it himself.

As for Chelsea, their flirtation with relegation is over. They ended this game nine points clear of the bottom three and just two points behind Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. They are surely too far back to mount a challenge for the top four but they may at least be coming into the kind of form that will give PSG coach Laurent Blanc cause for concern.
Eight minutes from the end, the second of Chelsea's masked men, Cesar Azpilicueta, dashed to the byline and cut a low cross back for Traore, who steered it past Elliot at his near post. It was 5-0 and Newcastle's embarrassment was complete.
Newcastle left for Spain after the game. In the radio commentary box, one of their former defenders, John Anderson, made a weary joke of it. 'I think a few of them are already there,' he said.

MATCH FACTS, TEAM NEWS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 6; Ivanovic 7, Cahill 7, Terry (c) 7 (Baba 37, 7), Azpilicueta 7; Fabregas 8, Matic 7; Pedro 9, Willian 7.5 (Loftus-Cheek 80, 6.5), Hazard 7; Costa 8 (Traore 60, 7)
Subs not used: Begovic, Mikel, Kenedy, Remy
Scorers: Costa 5, Pedro 9, 59, Willian 17, Traore 83
Manager: Guus Hiddink, 7

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Elliot 4; Janmaat 4, Taylor 3, Coloccini (c) 3, Aarons 3; Shelvey 5, Tiote 5 (Lascelles 66, 5); Sissoko 5, Wijnaldum 5 (Colback 46, 5), Townsend 5; Mitrovic 4 (Doumbia 70, 5)
Subs not used: Perez, Saivet, Darlow, Riviere
Booked: Taylor, Shelvey
Scorers: Townsend 90
Manager: Steve McClaren 3

Referee: Roger East, 7
Attendance: 41,622
Man of the Match: Pedro

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Mirror:

Chelsea 5-1 Newcastle: Pedro and Costa run riot against hapless Magpies - 5 things we learned

BY DARREN LEWIS

Steve McClaren's men were three down inside 15 minutes as their dismal away form continued at Stamford Bridge

Steve McClaren's Newcastle were plunged back into the bottom three after being ripped apart by rampant Chelsea.

The Magpies conceded three goals in the first seventeen minutes to end the game as a contest.

Diego Costa , sporting a mask to protect his broken nose, netted just five minutes in from close range after being teed up by Willian.

Pedro doubled the advantage four minutes later in remarkable fashion. The former Barcelona winger intercepted an horrendous pass from Rolando Aarons inside the centre-circle.

He then raced clear and sent the ball low beyond helpless keeper Rob Elliot.

Costa set up Willian for Chelsea’s third by chasing a long ball forward and sending a low ball across the box for the winger to tuck away at the back post.

Pedro added a fourth on 58 minutes when Steven Taylor failed to cut out a long ball forward. The Spaniard had time to control the ball and convert an effort into the bottom corner.

Substitute Bertrand Traore completed the rout with seven minutes left when he converted at the near post from Cesar Azpilicueta’s centre.

The win lifts Chelsea to 12th, seven points off the top six. The defeat for Newcastle was their seventh time this season they have conceded three or more goals in a game.

Andros Townsend hit a consolation in the 90th minute from outside the box.

Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp described their shambolic start to the match as “probably the worst 20 minutes i have ever seen from a Premier League side.”


Here are five things we learned.

1. Newcastle still can’t defend

They may have outspent the German Bundesliga last season with a £29million spree but Steve McClaren failed to strengthen in the area that he needed to most.

Chelsea dissected the Magpies’ backline without breaking sweat.

The way that Willian strode through to score Chelsea’s third highlights just how shocking Newcastle’s concept of defending is.


2. Chelsea are stretched ahead of PSG clash

John Terry limped off eight minutes before the end of the first half, after clashing with Aleksandr Mitrovic.

It leaves Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic at centre-half. Not the worst pairing in the world but it gives Guus Hiddink little room to manoeuvre if either is injured or booked.

Or if anything happens to any of his full-backs.


3. McClaren’s tactics will come under scrutiny

He threw Jack Colback on to replace the utterly pointless Georginio Wijnaldum at half time.

But why take off holding midfielder Cheick Tiote for Jamal Lascelles?

Surely an offensive player should have come off to prevent this shambles getting worse.


4. What must Jose be thinking of Costa's revival?

Let’s not kid ourselves, he clearly switched off under Jose Mourinho during the first half of the season. Over the course of the first five months he scored just four goals.

Since Mourinho departed in December, Costa has scored eight goals in ten games.

This run-out will have done very nicely ahead of Chelsea’s trip to the French capital.


5. Remy must be annoyed his move to China was denied

Another game, another 90 minutes that the France striker has had to watch from the bench.

Even with Chelsea 3-0 up at half-time he couldn’t get on and didn’t play at all in the end.


Player ratings

Courtois 7 - Will be annoyed at not keeping the clean sheet.

Ivanovic 8 - A nice run-out before PSG provide real competition in the week.

Cahill 8 - Must wish he could play every week - against Newcastle.

Terry 7 - Will be hoping the injury he came off with is not serious.

Azpilicueta 7 - With no service for Townsend an easy evening.

Matic 8 - Dominated the midfield. Even easier when Tiote went off!

Fabregas 8 - Had the freedom of the park with Newcastle clueless.

Hazard 7 - Quiet yet again. But at least today it didn’t matter.

Pedro 9 - Two well taken finishes. Must be gutted he can’t play Newcastle every week.

Willian 8 - Made one, scored another and will be yet again happy with his day’s work.

Costa 8 - Returned the favour after Willian set him up. Eight in ten now.

Subs

Baba (Terry 38) 7, Traore (Costa 60) 7, Loftus-Cheek (Willian 80) 7

Newcastle

Elliot 4 - And that’s being kind because he was left exposed

Aarons 2 - Horrendous back pass for Pedro’s goal.

Coloccini 1 - Supposed to be the leader. AWOL as his side fell apart.

Taylor 1 - Poor for all four goals. An horrific evening.

Janmaat 2 - Seemed not to know what to do when the ball came near him.

Tiote 3 - Unable to stem the tide as Chelsea’s midfield swept past him.

Sissoko 3 - Did he make any kind of meaningful contribution?

Wijnaldum 2 - Seemed unable to accept he needed to help defend. Hooked.

Shelvey 4 - Must (still) be wondering: ‘What have I done?’

Townsend 6 - Fine late consolation. See Jonjo Shelvey.

Mitrovic 3 - When his 2nd half chance came he couldn’t take it.

Subs

Colback (Wijnaldum 45), 3, Doumbia (Mitrovic 70) 4, Lascelles (Tiote 67) 3


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Express:

Chelsea treat their fans to fireworks as they hammer hapless Newcastle

CHELSEA gave out free beer and fired rockets into the night before the game to encourage fans and show not all is lost.

By TONY STENSON

Then the party and fireworks really started.

Chelsea made it a nightmare for Newcastle manager Steve McClaren who is surely hanging on to his job by a thread. His side were nothing short of woeful as the match turned into a turkey shoot.

The Blues secured their biggest league win of the season, with Pedro grabbing two, but Diego Costa, running riot, was the star man until he went off to a rousing reception.

They scored three goals in 16 minutes to condemn Newcastle to another round of head-banging and relegation worries.

The Magpies conceded six to Manchester City. It could have been double that. They apologised to the fans after that drubbing. What excuses now?

Even a 90th-minute goal from Andros Townsend couldn’t mask the pain in this pathetic show.

Costa wore a mask to cover a broken nose and he galloped in like the Lone Ranger to put them ahead after five minutes.

He never stopped and was a menace to Newcastle’s wobbly defence throughout. He even tried a theatrical over-head kick.

Then four minutes later Newcastle continued to commit hari-kari when Rolando Aarons tried an appalling crossfield pass only for Pedro to intercept and race for goal to fill his boots and score the first of his brace.

At that stage Newcastle were back in the bottom three and McLaren’s £80million spending spree – £28.5m during the last transfer window – looked a lost cause already.

Can he survive another pounding?

To rub salt into open wounds they folded again when Cesc Fabregas put Costa clear, he rounded Fabricio Coloccini and fed Willian to score a third.


It begged the question, do Chelsea really need a new manager when Guus Hiddink is doing very nicely, thank you, as interim boss?

He’s now unbeaten in his last 17 games.

Costa, who couldn’t buy a goal under previous boss Jose Mourinho, finished a move made out of nothing by Willian, a player who just gets better and better.

He’s already a shoo-in for their player-of-the-year crown and again showed why.


He waltzed passed Cheick Tiote as if he wasn’t there and then threaded a wonderful pass that was too much for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor and Costa scored from a difficult angle for his seventh goal in eight league games.

The onslaught continued as Pedro and Willian increased the goalfest – rounded off by Bertrand Traore.

If – and it’s a big ‘if’ – Chelsea had won each of the four matches they have drawn recently, their Champions League hopes would be alive and kicking.

But there’s the problem – despite having improved under Hiddink, four draws in five and six draws in eight was a poor return until Saturday.


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Star:

Chelsea 5 Newcastle 1: Pedro double, Costa, Willian and Traore shoot down sorry Magpies

CHELSEA gave out free beer and fired rockets into the night before the game to encourage fans and show not all is lost.

By Tony Stenson

Then the party and fireworks really started. Chelsea made it a nightmare for Newcastle manager Steve McLaren who is surely hanging onto his job by a thread.

They were nothing short of woeful as Chelsea turned into a turkey shoot.

Chelsea secured their biggest league win of the season, with Pedro grabbing two but Diego Costa running riot and was star man until he went off to a rousing reception.

They scored three goals in 16 minutes to condemn Newcastle to another round of head-banging and relegation worries.

They conceded six to Manchester City. It could have been double that yesterday.

They appologised to the fans after that drubbing. What excuses now?

Even 90th minute goal from Andros Townsend couldn’t mask the pain is this pathetic show.

Costa wore a mask to cover a broken nose and he galloped in like the Lone Ranger to put them ahead after four minutes.

He never stopped and was a menace to Newcastle’s wobbly defence throughout. He even tried a theatrical over-head kick.

Then four minutes later Newcastle continued to commit hari-kari when Rolando Aarons tried an appalling cross field pass only for Pedro to intercept and race for goal to fill his boots and score the first of his brace.

At that stage Newcastle were back in the bottom three and McLaren’s £80million spending spree - £28.5million during the last transfer window - looked a a lost cause already.

Can he survive another pounding? To rub salt into open wounds they folded again when Cesc Fabregas put Costa clear, he rounded Fabricio Coloccini and fed Willian to score a third.

It begged the question: Do Chelsea really need a new manager when Guus Hiddink is doing very nicely, thank you, as interim boss.

He’s now unbeaten in his last 17 games. Costa, who couldn’t buy a goal under previous boss Jose Mourinho, finished a move made out of nothing by Willian, a player who just gets better and better.

He’s already a shoo-in for their Player of the Year and again showed why. He waltzed passed Cheick Toitte as if he wasn’t there and then threaded a wonderful pass that was too much for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor and Costa scored from a difficult angle for his seventh goal in eight league games.

The onslaught continued as Pedro and Willian increased the goalfest and basically killed the game.
                   
If - and it’s a big ‘if’ - Chelsea had won each of the four matches they’ve drawn recently, their Champions League hopes would be alive and kicking despite a rotten first half of the season.

But there’s the problem - despite having improved under Hiddink, four draws in five and six draws in eight was a poor return until yesterday.

More of this and pride can be restored. But they will meet better sides ahead than Newcastle.

Newcastle were easy fodder and little was seen of new arrivals like Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend.

At home they are dangerous, as they showed when drawing with Chelsea, giving Manchester United a real game and beating West Brom last week, but on the road they continue to look totally lost.

It’s five defeats in a row since they somehow won at Spurs and while all of their striking options have scored away from home, none have found consistency Newcastle United arrived having taken more points off Chelsea (13) than any other team in the last five seasons.

Then the fairy tale ended. Chelsea were unstoppable, attacking from every position leaving Newcastle floundering, breathless and looking no-hopers.

You felt for their fans who made the long round journey but never stopped cheering their side. They deserved more.

A weak effort from Georgino Wijnaldum that went softly into Thibaut Courtois’s hands was the sum total of Newcastle’s first half.

Pedro should have scored Chelsea’s fourth in the 36th minute when put clear by Costa but he shot straight at Rob Elliot. Chelsea were forced to re-structure defender and skipper John Terry limped off minutes later.

Baba came on as left back while Cesar Azpilicueta moved to his natural right and Branislav Ivanovic took over Terry’s central role. Not that the onslaught stopped, with Willian having a free kick touched round a post by a diving Elliot on half time.

Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois: 6 (Didn't really have to deal with any threats besides Andros Townsend's goal) Branislav Ivanovic: 7 (His return to top form continues and he proved he can also offer solutions in the centre of defence) Gary Cahill: 7 (Restored confidence in defence after Kurt Zouma's injury) John Terry: 7 (Limped out with a knock on 38 minutes but was solid for as long as he played and had the fans pleading with him to stay) Cesar Azpilicueta: 8 (Made some important clearances and created Bertrand Traore's goal) Cesc Fabregas: 8 (The Spaniard brought back memories from last season as he dominated in midfield and produced an assist) Nemanja Matic: 7 (Was also very dominant in midfield as he erased Georginio Wijnaldum) Eden Hazard: 7 (He linked up well with his attacking teammates, especially Pedro, and showed great resiliency) Willian: 8 (He created Diego Costa's goal and scored one himself. Another great performance that proves he is Chelsea's best player of the season)  Pedro: 9 (We haven't seen Pedro playing this well since his debut match against West Brom. He scored two goals and was a constant danger in Newcastle's defence)  Diego Costa: 8 (Scored Chelsea's opener and returned the favour to Willian as he created the Brazilian's goal)  SUB - Bertrand Traore: 7 (An impressive performance that rightfully earned him a goal) SUB - Baba Rahman: 7 (Could have done more to stop Townsend from scoring but was still very impressive)  SUB - Ruben Loftus-Cheek: N/A (Only played for 10 minutes)

 Newcastle

 Rob Elliot: 5 (The Newcastle keeper endured a nightmare against Chelsea) Daryl Janmaat: 5 (Didn't really have a chance against Pedro) Steven Taylor: 4 (An evening he would like to forget) Fabricio Coloccini: 4 (Chelsea players didn't find it hard to beat Coloccini at every exchange) Rolando Aarons: 4 (His back pass led to a Pedro goal and didn't really make up for it during the rest of the match) Jonjo Shelvey: 6 (Couldn't create chances and push his team forward) Cheick Tiote: 5 (Chelsea's midfield was just too much for him) Moussa Sissoko: 5 (There were moments where he found some space but he couldn't produce anything out of it) Georginio Wijnaldum: 5 (Couldn't offer any solutions in attack) Andros Townsend: 7 (Managed to get the consolation goal and was perhaps Newcastle's best player) Aleksandar Mitrovic: 5 (Chelsea's defence was too much for him) SUB - Jack Colback: 7 (Tried to contribute but nothing could stop Chelsea at that point ) SUB - Seydou Doumbia: 6 (Came in on 70 minutes but the damage had already been done) SUB - Jamaal Lascelles: 6 (Just like the other substitutes, he tried to turn things around but the damage had already been done)