Chelsea 2 Newcastle United 0

Last updated : 10 January 2015 By Paul Lagan

Oscar and Diego Costa scored the goals that keep the Blues top of the Premier League as they dispatched a lively Newcastle United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge this afternoon.
But this was a schizophrenic performance by Chelsea that will leave the fans fretting and Jose Mourinho frustrated.

Goals from Oscar and Diego Costa kept Chelsea 100 per cent winning home record intact with a 2-0 against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge.

but it wasn't plain sailing for the league leaders.
For the opening 42 minutes belonged to the visitors who missed a hatful of chances to blow the west Londoners away.
west The fact they didn't, meant that Chelsea's only genuine piece of invention in that first half, saw them take the lead.

Quick-thinking Willian's corner two minutes from the break allowed Oscar to slot home cooly and from that point on, there was only one winner.
The Blues, suddenly found their mojo, their passing was crisper and accurate again and the away side's endeavour melted away.

Diego Costa, hit his 15th goal of the season and it was a classic Chelsea goal. Smart one-two passing sliced the away side's defence open and Costa showed maturity and composure to find little bit of extra space in the penalty area before dispatching a right-footer past a prone Tin Krul.
west With Manchester City gaining just a point at Everton, the Blues are now two points clear at the top.

Moussa Sissoko had the first effort on goal in the third minute, cutting in from e left and slicing a low, right-footer on target. Which Petr Cech, given a rare league outing by Mose Mourinho, managed to snaffle properly only at the second attempt.
In fact. The opening exchanges saw the visitors with the majority of possession and a greater sense of purpose, forcing Chelsea to defend their goal with last gasp challenges.
Remy Cabella produced a fine run run which cut right through Chelsea defence on 18 minutes.

Only a fortunate flick off the leg of Kurt Zouma in the six-yard prevented the ball zipping past Cech.

A brilliant Yoan Gouffran free-kick from just outside the Chelsea penalty area must have given Cech blisters a minute later as he just about parried away the fierce effort. A follow-up header by Fabricio Coloccini was also on it was goal wards, but Nemanja Matic was on the goal line to hack the ball, clear.

Chelsea finally got some foot-hold in the game but only through ethe count-attack. Diego Costa and Oscar should both had done better, Costa elected to pass when a shot on goal was the better option, while mercurial Oscar attempted a curling half-volley from a Matic through-ball which on another day would have sailed past Tim Krul and into the net. This time it just sailed past Krul and into the Shed End.

Newcastle failed to take the lead on 32 minutes when a sensational run by Cabella cut past Cesar Azpilicueta as if the left back didn't exist and did the same to John Terry. The France wide man then produced a curling effort from just outside the penalty area that saw Cech, thankfully equal to the shot and he got down low to his right and tipped the goal-bound daisy-cutter away for a corner.

Newcastle's bad luck continued on 37 minutes when Sissoko zipped past Azpilicuta and Terry and unleashed a blockbuster of a right-footer that smacked off the apex of crossbar and Cech's left post.

Azpilicueta then limped off suffering what looked like a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Brazil left-back Filipe Luis.

Against the run of play, the Blues took the lead with an opportunistic piece of play.
west A very quick short corner by Willian on 43 minutes caught the Newcastle defence napping. He passed the ball along the byline to Branislav Ivanovic, who knocked the ball on across the six-yard box. Oscar was alert enough to take advantage, and in-running midfielder rammed the ball home to make it 1-0 to the league leaders.

There was no changes at half-time from either side.

There was a massive shout for a Chelsea penalty on when Costa's shot hit the outstretched arm of Coloccini who was inside his own penalty area.

All the Chelsea players threw their hands up in disgust as referee Roger East decided that the incident was accidental and awarded a corner instead.
Jose Mourinho, up on a FA charge in regard to comments made about a 'campaign' against Chelsea just looked at the fourth official and laughed.

Three minutes later and the Blues were 2-0 up.
Clever interplay on the edge of Newcastle penalty area saw an exquisite back-heel by Hazard into to the path of Costa. the Brazil-born Spain striker took one touch, found some extra space and drove a low, right-footer past Krul for his 15th league goal of the season.

But Newcastle would not go away and substitute Sammy Ameobi forced Cech into tipping over his left-sized cross over his cross bar?

A confidence-infused Chelsea could have hit number three on 67 minutes but a weak volley by Costa, at close range, was held by Krul.

Mourinho introduced Ramires for out of sorts Odcar with 12 minutes of the game remaining.
Coloccini saved his side a minute later, hacking away a slide-rule goal-bound shot by Costa with Krul beaten.

The Blues saw out the remaining minutes and with three points in the by Nd with some air between themselves and Manchester City, they have a full week to prepare for their visit to South Wales next Saturday to face Swansea City.

Teams, Chelsea , Cech, Ivanovic, Fabregas, Zouma, Oscar, Hazrad, Costa, Matic, Willian, Terry, Azpilicueta
Subs, Courtois, Luis, Ramires, Drogba, Mikel, Remy, Cahill

Newcastle, Krul, Coloccini, Williamson, Sissoko, Anita, Gouffran, Colbeck,erect, Cabella, Janmaat, Dummett
Subs, Woodman, Santon, Haidara, Vuckic, Ameobi, Rivière, Armstrong

Referee Roger East