This doesn't bode well for Newcastle United & Eddie Howe after Chelsea defeat

It was one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle United as they were beaten 3-2 at Chelsea on Monday.

After a promising 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James' Park the week prior, Newcastle went into the game with some confidence against a Chelsea side that seemed to have little as the pressure mounted on Mauricio Pochettino's 11th-placed side.

But Newcastle made things easy for the West London outfit by gifting Chelsea the lead after just six minutes as Cole Palmer's shot deflected in off Nicolas Jackson.

Alexander Isak drew Newcastle level with an excellent finish before half-time but The Blues went back in front shortly after the break with Palmer finding the net from the edge of the box. Mykhailo Mudryk extended the hosts' lead heading into the closing stages as Jacob Murphy's powerful effort proved to be little more than a consolation as the match ended 3-2.

Here are five talking points from the game...

Fresh injury blow & two changes made after duo miss training

Eddie Howe made two changes to the side that beat Wolves with the injured Kieran Trippier dropping out for Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron returning to the starting line-up in place of Jacob Murphy. Neither change was surprising though Murphy dropping back to the bench was partly down to the fact the winger had missed training in the week building up to the match with a knock.

The match also confirmed a fresh injury blow to Harvey Barnes, who suffered a slight hamstring strain during the win over Wolves. While the issue is not thought to be serious, it is likely to keep him out until after the international break.

What was perhaps more noticeable than the personnel change was Howe's change of tactics from the counter-attacking approach that proved so effective against Wolves. The Magpies were on the front foot and pressing Chelsea from the first minute.

And the game plan just might have worked had the side not shot themselves in the foot.

Newcastle United's defensive woes continue

No Premier League side have seen as many goals in their matches this season as Newcastle. That was the case before the game and extended even further with five more goals on Monday night.

Chaos and (for the neutral at least) entertainment have become the new norm for Howe's side with 107 goals scored across their 28 Premier League matches so far. Scoring goals hasn't really proven an issue with 59 scored by The Magpies this season.

But the best defensive side in the division last season now boasts the joint-worse away defensive record this campaign. And based on Monday night's showing, it's easy to see why.

Sven Botman's half-clearance fell kindly to Palmer in the build-up to Chelsea's opener. Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka expressed his frustration with his defenders after the ball deflected off Jackson and rolled into the bottom left corner.

The Magpies were then let off as Botman slipped to allow Jackson to find the net again only for the offside flag to come to the away side's rescue. No defender could get close to Palmer on the edge of the box once again as he gave Chelsea the lead.

Then a series of errors saw Botman turned too easily and Schar wrong-footed as Mudryk burst through to round Dubravka and make it 3-1. And for the ninth time in 28 league matches, United had conceded three or more goals over 90 minutes.

While Howe claims personnel is not the issue for his side, the overwhelming number of opposition chances and goals that have come about from teams attacking the left side of Newcastle's back four is a real concern in particular.

Too many players struggling & no excuses

Dan Burn's problems at left-back have been well documented but Sven Botman's dramatic downturn in form is a particular worry. Burn's limitations were always evident but have been exposed in recent months while Botman appeared near impervious for The Magpies last season yet now looks a player short of confidence and conviction at the back.

While the struggles of Botman and Burn are highlighted by their defensive role in the side and the fact their mistakes often lead to opposition chances, a player whose struggles are equally as bad is Sean Longstaff.

Longstaff was Newcastle's midfield engine room who did the running of two players last season, forming a crucial part of Howe's line-up. Even when the arrival of Sandro Tonali threatened to displace him from the starting XI, Longstaff was able to keep his place and make an impact at the start of the season.

While the 26-year-old is enjoying his best goalscoring season to date with six to his name, recent months have seen him fall into a complacent daze in matches. The midfielder has too often found himself a passenger in matches, running around and looking busy without actually doing anything meaningful.

It has to be said that all three of the aforementioned players suffered injury blows earlier in the season which seem to have had a knock-on impact on their form. But the prolonged rustiness is hard to justify given these players have been back playing for over two months now.

With fewer injuries, fewer matches and more training time, common sense would suggest Newcastle's form would improve. Instead, they have become a less intense, more naive side and that has been reflected in the results.

And that doesn't bode well for Howe.

Anthony Gordon's nightmare as Tino Livramento rises to the occasion

To make a bad night worse for Newcastle, Anthony Gordon was forced off with a knee injury in the first half. Howe said afterwards that it didn't look 'too good' for the winger, who was poised for his first England call-up later this week.

But Gordon's hopes of being named in Gareth Southgate's squad have been dashed significantly with a spell on the sidelines looking more likely pending a further assessment.

With Trippier, Nick Pope and Callum Wilson also out injured, Newcastle risk being without any representatives in the England squad for the first time in two years. But one player who has thrust himself into contention is Tino Livramento.

Southgate was watching on as the 21-year-old put in an impressive display for Newcastle at Stamford Bridge. And with a lack of options at right-back, Livramento stands a chance of getting his first call-up later this week.

Next up - Manchester City

Newcastle are into a defining part of their season now as any hope of a positive campaign hangs by a threat heading into the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City on Saturday (8pm kick-off).

Manchester City have won each of their last nine home matches against Newcastle with an aggregate score of 31-3. The Magpies' only previous win at the Etihad Stadium came in a 2-0 Carabao Cup win in 2014. 

Form and logic suggest Manchester City will progress comfortably to the semi-final on Saturday as Newcastle can only hope for a healthy dose of FA Cup magic to save their season.