As so often before, the Special One turned out to be Correct One. Chelsea’s unbeaten run and hopes of matching Arsenal’ s Invincibles evaporated on Tyneside with a defeat that may yet turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The opportunity to emulate Arsenal’s 2004 vintage vanished with two predatory finishes from a familiar foe Papiss Cisse and though he would never admit it publicly, Mourinho might be relieved that he can now focus on simply winning rather than smashing records. While many have written off the chasing pack in the wake of a relentless and remorseless Chelsea juggernaut, their own manager’s messages in recent weeks have been laced with caution. Sunderland threatened an upset on Chelsea’s last visit to the north east a week ago, while Tottenham, before an inevitable capitulation, exposed several chinks in what had previously appeared to be impenetrable armour. Newcastle took inspiration from their local rivals and sucked the life out of a Chelsea attack that had laid waste to pretty much everything in its path up until this point in the season. Oscar subdued, Diego Costa blunted and assist machine Cesc Fabregas strangled by the tireless Jack Colback, Alan Pardew’s side provided a blueprint that others will surely follow and hope to replicate. Unlike Sunderland, however, Newcastle possessed the composure and refinement in the final third to capitalise on the rare opportunities they were able to break into opposition territory. Ayoze Perez buzzed with intent all afternoon, Moussa Sissoko gobbled up the ground and Cisse rediscovered the Midas touch in front of goal against opponents who always seem to bring the best out of him.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 20:09:00 +0000