In the previous round, Nick Woltemade was the villain, scoring an own goal that led to Newcastle's 0-1 loss against Sunderland in the hostile Tyne-Wear derby. On 20/12 at St James’ Park, the German forward responded emphatically.

Nick Woltemade celebrates the opening goal in Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Chelsea in Premier League round 17 at St James’ Park, Newcastle, England on 20/12. Photo: Reuters

In the 4th minute, Anthony Gordon's close-range shot was saved by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with his foot. The ball rebounded perfectly for Woltemade to tap into an empty net. Newcastle has scored more goals in the first 5 minutes of Premier League matches (8) than any other team since the start of last season.

In the 20th minute, Gordon and Woltemade combined again to double Newcastle's lead. The English forward dribbled quickly down the left wing, then delivered a low cross for Woltemade to cut in and finish diagonally, completing his brace.

Woltemade is the 4th player to score two goals against Chelsea within the first 20 minutes of a Premier League match, following Robbie Fowler (1994), Paul Scholes (1995), and Sergio Aguero (2019). He also became the 4th Newcastle player to score a brace in the first 20 minutes of a Premier League game at St. James' Park, after Andy Cole (vs Liverpool in 1993), Duncan Ferguson (vs Southampton in 2000), and Jacob Murphy (vs Tottenham in 2023).

Reece James scores a spectacular free-kick to make it 1-2. Photo: AFP

Chelsea struggled in the first half but showed a completely different performance in the second. In the 49th minute, from a free-kick nearly 30 meters out, captain Reece James shot the ball over the wall into the near corner, beyond the reach of goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, helping Chelsea reduce the deficit.

In the 66th minute, goalkeeper Sanchez caught a Newcastle cross and launched a long pass to Joao Pedro in the opposing half. The Brazilian forward controlled the ball, eluded Malick Thiaw, burst into the penalty area, and slotted it diagonally into the net to equalize the score.

However, "The Blues" still needed luck to leave St James’ Park with one point. Newcastle squandered opportunities to win the match, with Harvey Barnes missing a close-range tap-in in the 85th minute and Anthony Elanga curling a shot wide of the post in the 89th minute.

Chelsea also escaped two controversial penalty calls. In the 54th minute, Trevoh Chalobah collided strongly with Gordon's thigh, causing him to fall in the penalty area. The referee immediately waved play on, and VAR took only a few seconds to review before upholding the decision, deeming it a legitimate challenge.

The controversial collision between Trevoh Chalobah and Anthony Gordon. Photo: Reuters

On the English TV show Soccer Saturday, former Premier League referee Mike Dean held a contrasting view: "Chalobah had no intention of playing the ball; he used his body to knock Gordon down. It's 100% a penalty".

The incident in the 6th minute of stoppage time was even more controversial. Barnes broke free, had a chance to face the goalkeeper, but James pulled his shirt and he fell near the penalty area. VAR intervened but found no foul, meaning James escaped a red card.

After the match, coach Eddie Howe stated that Newcastle deserved at least one penalty in the 54th minute. "That was a clear penalty. Chalobah went into Anthony Gordon aggressively. Anywhere else on the pitch, that would also be a foul", the English manager said.

The 2-2 result did not help either team improve their standings. Chelsea remains 4th with 29 points, while Newcastle is 11th with 23 points. In the next round, Chelsea will host Aston Villa, and Newcastle will visit Man Utd.

Hong Duy