Newcastle United pummelled a hapless Chelsea team 3-0 in the final game of the season and gave their supporters the perfect end of season gift.
A brace from Ayoze Perez along with a goal from Dwight Gayle secured a comfortable victory for the home side, who will be delighted to have performed so brilliantly against last season’s PL champions. The Magpies ended the season in tenth place, level on points with 11th and 12th placed Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively.
Chelsea, on the other hand, will have to make do without Champions League football next season as they finished fifth in the Premier League table. This might lead to a massive squad overhaul in the upcoming summer, which might include the potential sacking of head coach Antonio Conte.
Here are the Newcastle United players rated in their win over Chelsea.
Martin Dubravka (8/10): Had absolutely nothing to do in the first half but showed once again as to why he has transformed into a cult figure during his short stint with Newcastle with some great saves, which kept denying Chelsea from getting on the scoresheet.
DeAndre Yedlin (7.5/10): Showed tremendous athleticism to constantly keep the likes of Emerson and Eden Hazard busy, especially in the first half. The American has once again proven to be a vital cog in the Newcastle defence.
Jamaal Lascelles (7/10): Marshalled the defence with some key interceptions and a couple of well-timed challenges. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea make any move for the English defender this summer, following a series of impressive performances this campaign.
Florian Lejeune (8.5/10): He was probably the best Newcastle United defender in the game. Aside from being a rock at the back, Florian Lejeune made a vital assist for Newcastle’s third of the night, which effectively sealed all three points for the Magpies.
Paul Dummett (7.5/10): Dummett’s defensive solidity is what kept Chelsea at bay throughout the course of the game from the left-hand side.
Jonjo Shelvey (9/10): At the end of the day, it was Jonjo Shelvey who proved to be the main difference between the two sides. The former Liverpool midfielder played a masterful role in the centre of the park, with some neat touches coupled with his key passes, which helped Newcastle tear apart the Chelsea defence. The 26-year-old definitely deserves a call-up to the England national team for his performances in the second half of the season.
Mohamed Diame (9/10): It’s not easy keeping tabs on the likes of N’Golo Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko but Newcastle’s Mohamed Diame did it with absolute perfection today.
Matt Ritchie (8/10): A real sparkplug in the Newcastle attack, Matt Ritchie has really evolved into a key Premier League player, which was clearly depicted in his performance against Chelsea.
Ayoze Perez (9.5/10): Arguably the best player of the game, Ayoze Perez’s incredible performance helped Newcastle register a thumping win over the Premier League giants. Aside from scoring a brace, the Spaniard also contributed to Newcastle’s creative department heavily.
Jacob Murphy (7/10): Wasn’t as impressive as the likes of Matt Ritchie or Ayoze Perez. Initially replacing Kenedy, who wasn’t able to play against his parent club, Jacob Murphy was largely isolated on the left-hand side.
Dwight Gayle (8.5/10): A great day at the office for the England striker, who, other than just scoring the opener, also proved to be a handful for the opposition in the first half. However, he was later replaced by Joselu at the start of the second half, due to an injury.
Subs
Joselu (7/10): Replaced Dwight Gayle in the first few minutes after the restart and although he wasn’t as influential as the former Palace striker, Joselu put in a decent shift till the end.
Isaac Hayden (7/10): Came on for the highly influential Jonjo Shelvey in the final phase of the game as he helped his team comfortably see out their lead against Chelsea.
Massadio Haidara (NA): Replaced the tiring Mohamed Diame in the 87th minute whilst making his first Premier League appearance of the season.