If the world needed to be reminded that Cole Palmer can make a difference, this game provided further proof.

A tight game was decided by the brilliance of the Chelsea player, much to Newcastle’s frustration, with Palmer scoring the winner after delivering a great pass in the build-up to the home side’s opener. Gianfranco Zola, who was watching from the stands, will have been delighted with his performance.

In fact, Palmer had been denied the opener in the fourth minute as the VAR ruled the midfielder narrowly offside when he hit the post, although the visitors’ break was short-lived. The England international’s wonderful pass soon saw Pedro Neto make a run down the left flank, while Nicolas Jackson outran Newcastle’s retreating defenders and converted low through the middle.

Alexander Isak equalized after a great team game with Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, both graduates of Chelsea’s Cobham academy. But after a competitive first half, Palmer restored the home side’s lead immediately after the break with his seventh Premier League goal of the season, which he fired past Nick Pope at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Neto headed into the woodwork, Pope saved from Mykhailo Mudryk and the late penalty awarded for a foul on Christopher Nkunku was overturned after a lengthy VAR review. However, Chelsea’s weakness in defense still gave the visitors a chance to recover. Reece James blocked Isak’s header off the line, with the striker later denying he had bypassed Robert Sanchez.

Liam Twomey and Jacob Whitehead analyze the key talking points at Stamford Bridge.

Has Palmers been the pass of the season so far?

Livramento probably should have known what was coming when Palmer glanced over his left shoulder as he prepared for a pass from Malo Gusto.

Palmer’s ‘scanning’ ability has wreaked havoc on Premier League defenses for more than a year, and here it opened a window for a pass that didn’t seem remotely appropriate.

After his second touch, which sent the ball to the right just outside the Chelsea penalty area, he already knew exactly where Livramento was in relation to the sprinting Neto and in what narrow area behind them he could land his pass. His second look, just before he spun the ball around an advancing Joelinton, only served to ensure his initial calculations were correct.

Palmer delivered a wonderful pass for Neto in the build-up to the opening game (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

The best pass in the Premier League this season? It might not even have been Palmer’s best. However, it was undoubtedly great to turn a tense defense into a dangerous attack in the blink of an eye. Neto’s lightning-fast performance did the rest, leaving behind a stumbling Livramento and rendering Fabian Schar’s desperate cover attack useless.

It will be remembered mostly for how Neto and Jackson found the composure needed to ensure it ended in a goal, but it will quickly be eclipsed by Palmer’s next moment of brilliance.

Liam Twomey

What role did Chelsea’s academy play in the equalizer?

By midway through the first half, Newcastle had gone 470 minutes without scoring.

They struggled for fluidity against Chelsea, looked a little too desperate and lost the ball when they tried to attack directly. So their equalizer came out of nowhere – and was faked in the opposition Cobham academy, with Livramento and Lewis Hall picking up Chelsea Academy Player of the Year awards in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

At Chelsea, Newcastle seemed to be trapped in their own corner and Schar’s only option was to play speculatively upwards. However, clever interplay between Livramento and Miguel Almiron allowed Bruno Guimaraes to receive the ball in some sort of space – and with Sandro Tonali’s marking allowing Livramento to lose license, the Newcastle right-back imposed the pressure on Chelsea’s midfield.

Isak celebrates his equalizer (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

After being found again by Joelinton, who took both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia out of the game, Livramento passed the ball to Harvey Barnes. He duly donned Gusto before pushing the overlapping hall into space.

Hall found a free-standing Isak in the middle – who just managed to be caught offside – and secured his first Premier League assist, 14 months after he first arrived at Newcastle from Stamford Bridge.

Jacob Whitehead

Why did Newcastle struggle to contain the hosts?

Newcastle’s midfield was responsible for both Chelsea goals – as well as Palmer’s disallowed shot early on.

Sometimes this was immediately apparent: on Chelsea’s second goal, for example, Isak was dispossessed by Lavia without Palmer being able to stroll up 20 meters and fire home.

Tonali attempts to dispossess Lavia (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Another time, the hosts forced the defense to make hasty attacks through their positioning. Often either Jackson or Palmer would drop deep and with no pressure from Newcastle’s midfield three, one of Dan Burn or Schar would be pulled out. Speed ​​is not the strength of either of them and the attackers were able to fend them off easily as Chelsea used their off-ball option to fill the space of the absent centre-back.

Basically, Joelinton and Tonali, Newcastle’s fictional number 8, do not have the attacking performance that would justify leaving such a gap in the defensive midfield.

Chelsea took advantage of it time and time again.

Jacob Whitehead

Reece James… the left-back?

The evidence so far this season is that Enzo Maresca seems to take particular delight in surprising opponents and spectators with the way he marshals his Chelsea team.

When the lineups were announced, it was naturally assumed that Gusto would return to the inverted left-back role, which brought mixed results against Liverpool at Anfield. Instead, it was club captain James who was deployed on the left side of Chelsea’s back three in possession, while Gusto moved from the right side into midfield.

Perhaps the idea was defensive, and Maresca hoped James’ presence would help nullify the dangerous left-footed Almiron. In fact, the Paraguayan only threatened Sanchez’s goal in the first half with an incisive run and an erratic shot and was otherwise limited to touches in less dangerous areas.

James slides away from Almiron (Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

The biggest defensive value James achieved against Newcastle was the scramble, where he parried away a fierce Tonali shot and cleared it off his line twice in the first half.

On offense, James’ comfort on the ball and passing range helped Chelsea’s build-up through the defense and middle third, although his trademark whipped crosses were less effective – not least because this team has so little for him to aim for in the air.

Ultimately, however, Maresca and all other Chelsea supporters will like James to simply survive another significant period of time in the Premier League without collapsing or feeling physically unwell – regardless of where on the pitch he is playing.

Liam Twomey

What do these sites do on Wednesday evenings?

As the first few weeks of their Europa Conference League season have shown, Chelsea have the luxury of fielding a completely different starting XI if Maresca wishes.

It would be a surprise if he didn’t draw heavily on those deep reserves of talent. Assembling the Chelsea team against Panathinaikos on Thursday cost more than 500 million pounds ($648 million) in transfer fees, so it would be strange not to trust at least some of them in a Carabao Cup game.

Maresca has also made it clear that James, Lavia and Wesley Fofana will not be in the starting lineup more than twice a week for the foreseeable future. Fofana has injured his left knee again here and given his injury history, the risk of overusing him is too great. Maresca has more than enough alternatives to avoid this.

Maresca and Jason Tindall on the touchline (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

In contrast, Newcastle have fielded the fewest players in the Premier League this season.

They desperately need tactical answers, particularly in midfield, but the options are relatively slim. Since his start at Fulham, Joe Willock has not been trusted in midfield and while Sean Longstaff is solid defensively, he limits Newcastle’s attack on the right. 18-year-old Lewis Miley has only recently been fit again and a start would be surprising.

The groin injury to Anthony Gordon, who was unexpectedly sidelined on Sunday, is another blow.

Liam Twomey and Jacob Whitehead

What did the managers say?

We’ll bring you both managers’ thoughts after they speak at their post-match press conferences.

What’s next?

As mentioned above, these teams will renew hostilities on Wednesday, October 30, when Chelsea travel to St. James’ Park in the Carabao Cup Round of 16 (7:45 p.m. UK, 3:45 p.m. ET).

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(Top photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)