Newcastle United player ratings: New signings impress despite defeat

Newcastle United fell to their second loss in three games as a bit of poor refereeing coupled with bad luck resulted in a forgettable defeat against Chelsea.

Here are the Newcastle United player ratings:

Martin Dubravka (6)

Made a couple of decent saves and also got a fingertip to Hazard’s penalty but he could not stop either goal from going in.

DeAndre Yedlin (7)

Apart from the own goal, the 25-year old was solid at the back, keeping the likes of Hazard quiet for most of the game. Yedlin also picked up the assist for Joselu’s goal.

Fabian Schar (6.5)

Was clumsy at times but was harsh on him to concede a penalty. He made just one tackle all game but provided good cover to Yedlin on the flank for most of the time.

Federico Fernandez (7)

Started at the heart of the defence and won three aerial duels, frustrating the likes of Morata and Giroud till the final whistle.

Ciaran Clark (7)

With three tackles and three aerial duels won, Clark was solid at the back and was unlucky to end up on the losing side.

Paul Dummett (6)

Did well against the likes of Pedro and Willian but offered very little going forward, unable to hold on to the ball in the wide areas.

Matt Ritchie (6)

Constantly offered help to Yedlin and Schar to keep Chelsea frustrated on the left flank and also created a couple of half chances late in the game.

Mohamed Diame (6.5)

Failed to get a foothold in the middle of the park but frustrated the Chelsea playmakers, registering five tackles all game.

Ki Sung-Yeung (6.5)

With a decent passing accuracy of 90%, Ki was crucial for Newcastle to relieve pressure but he did not have enough support to hurt Chelsea on the break.

Jacob Murphy (7)

Like Ritchie, spent most of the game providing defensive cover but his dribbling was at times too good for the likes of Azpilicueta to handle.

Salomon Rondon (5)

Had very little services but had a great chance from close range in the first half, where he should have given his side the lead.

Substitutes

Joselu (7)

Came on for Rondon and added more threat up top. Scored a poacher’s goal and came close to rescuing a point for his side.

Ayoze Perez (6)

Created a couple of half chances late in the game but he got very little time to make an impact on the game.

Yoshinori Muto (N/A)

A late-surging run that resulted in a free-kick was his biggest contribution to the game.

Stat Credit: Whoscored.com