Newcastle United given extra edge at Everton following Chelsea defeat

Many of them have been embarrassing. However, this wasn’t one of them.

Eddie Howe and his players left the stadium after yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea feeling aggrieved, having been denied what looked to be a clear penalty when Jacob Murphy was clumsily brought down by Trevoh Chalobah.

"VAR and the referee were hopeless,” tweeted former United striker Alan Shearer. “CLEAR, CLEAR pen.”

Also, match-winner Kai Havertz was fortunate to still be on the pitch, having elbowed Dan Burn before the break.

Newcastle have come long way in a relatively short space of time, though VAR still has a long way to go. And the progress at the club was evident by the way the team performed after what Eddie Howe described as a “complete tactical reshuffle” on the eve of the fixture following the loss of Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock to illness and Joelinton to an injury.

Yes, United went on to lose the game, and a loss is a loss, but the club’s ninth successive top-flight defeat at Stamford Bridge (and 10th in all competitions) was unlike many of the defeats that preceded it.

Newcastle had a defensive-minded plan, albeit a hastily-conceived one following the loss of Joelinton, Shelvey and Willock, and it almost worked. Had referee David Coote and VAR not inexplicably failed to award United a penalty, the result could have been very different.

The game’s gone now. Newcastle must quickly focus on Thursday night’s game against Everton at Goodison Park, where the atmosphere was said to “quickly turn toxic” yesterday. Fans vented their frustration and anger during their club’s 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Staying calm is not the thing,” said manager Frank Lampard. “I think being on edge isn’t a bad thing.”

St James’s Park was toxic earlier this season amid unhappiness at the performance of then-head coach Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley continued ownership.

Clubs took advantage of that toxicity, though October’s takeover, and the subsequent departure of Bruce, changed the mood inside the stadium – and in the city.

Now it’s Newcastle’s turn to take advantage of Everton’s predicament – and take another step towards safety.

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