WATCH: Raheem Sterling’s STUNNING freekick during Chelsea’s humiliating defeat to Newcastle

Sterling scored a top free kick in Chelsea's 4-1 loss to Newcastle.

WATCH: Raheem Sterling’s STUNNING freekick during Chelsea’s humiliating defeat to Newcastle

Raheem Sterling's free kick was Chelsea's only goal in their 4-1 loss to Newcastle United (Image via We ain't got no history)

Chelsea were 1-0 down to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park after Alexander Isak scored in the 13th minute. In the 22nd minute, Kieren Trippier fouled Raheem Sterling, who was on course to get a chance to score. He was awarded a yellow card for his foul, but the foul at the moment cost more. 

Being fouled just outside the edge of the box, Raheem Sterling scored a beautiful free kick that equalized the scoreline. Scoring with his right foot, Sterling shot the ball above the wall and into the top right corner. Nick Pope could do nothing but stand and watch the ball get into the goal. 

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The half finished 1-1, with no changes to the score line. The real problem for the Blues began in the 2nd half, as Jamaal Lascelles, Joelinton and Antony Gordon increased Newcastle’s lead to 4-1. Along with that their Captain, Reece James, was also sent off after he got his 2nd yellow card for fouling Gordon. The game finished with Newcastle winning 3 points.

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If the Magpies end up winning this match, they go up to 6th place, 2 points behind 5th place Aston Villa. Chelsea, who have already had a horrendous run in the league, will stay stuck at 10th. 

Why are Chelsea underperforming despite their high spending? 

Ever since Chelsea were bought by a consortium led by American Todd Boehly, Chelsea have been active in the transfer market. Since the start of the 2022/23 season, the Blues have purchased over a billion euros worth of players, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes costing a combined EUR 237 million. 

Newcastle's Matt Ritchie watches the ball travel into the net as Chelsea concede 4
Matt Ritchie watches the ball travel into the net as Chelsea concede 4 (Image via Reuters)

Despite such purchases, the Blues have massively underperformed, with the club missing out on European football as well. In the 2022/23 season, they finished 12, just 10 points above the relegation zone.

So what could be the problem with Chelsea? Whenever fans have seen Mauricio Pochettino’s side play, they notice everything while attacking is right. They have a proper attacking structure, and the midfield and attack are able to create chances, but they still have been one of the worst attacking teams in terms of Expected Goals in the league. 

Until the recent 4-4 draw with Manchester City, the team created many scoring opportunities, with an expected 26.79 goals, but only managed to score 21. Striker Nicholas Jackson, with an expected goal count of 8.14, scored only 2 goals. His accuracy is 50%, and he missed 8 significant chances.

Injuries hit the defense hard, with Fofana, Colwill, Chilwell, and Chalobah sidelined. Reece James also missed games. The team concedes 1.54 goals per match and has only 3 clean sheets.

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