Alexander Isak leaves shocked team-mate floored and Newcastle fume after Chelsea goal - 5 things

Newcastle United remain in the bottom half of the table following a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 18th minute following a clinical breakaway, but Alexander Isak drew Newcastle level after getting on the end of Lewis Hall's cross. Man of the match Cole Palmer stepped up with what proved to be the winner for Chelsea just after the break.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

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Cole Palmer wreaks havoc as sloppy Newcastle punished

This is an expensively-assembled Chelsea side with threats all over the pitch, who have already scored a whopping 35 goals in all competitions, but there was one player Newcastle needed to keep particularly quiet: Cole Palmer.

Palmer has been involved in 45 goals in just 42 league appearances for Chelsea and the England international hurt Newcastle in the corresponding fixture last season. Yet it was as if Newcastle's midfielders had forgotten - they simply could not get tight enough to him.

In fact, just three minutes had been played when Palmer had the ball in the back of the net after Nicolas Jackson turned Dan Burn on the halfway line and slipped the Chelsea star in beyond the visitors' noticeably high line. However, to Newcastle's relief, VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed for offside.

A warning had been sent - but it was not heeded. Chelsea were soon in front and, frustratingly for Newcastle, it came from the Magpies' own attack in the 18th minute.

Harvey Barnes' cross failed to pick out Bruno Guimaraes and Levi Colwill quickly played the ball to Malo Gusto. There were a handful of black and white shirts around Gusto, but none of them fouled the Chelsea defender and he was able to pick out Palmer.

Palmer easily turned away from Joelinton and Barnes before playing a superb ball down the left channel that Tino Livramento failed to cut out. Pedro Neto's eyes lit up, particularly when Fabian Schar dived in and failed to get the ball, and the Portugal international pulled the ball back across the box. There was the unmarked Nicolas Jackson to fire Chelsea in front after sprinting away from Dan Burn.

Having recovered to get back into the game, through Alexander Isak, Newcastle were undone once more just a minute into the second half and the visitors' sloppy play was again punished by Palmer. Isak, with his back to goal, failed to hold the ball up by the halfway line and the striker was far too casual with his lay-off to Livramento.

Lavia nipped in and got there before Bruno to thread it through to Palmer. Newcastle's defenders backed off and Palmer did not need a second invitation - the Chelsea star let fly and Nick Pope could not keep out his effort. Pope's fury at getting beat at his near post was telling as the goalkeeper punched the turf in anger.

Isak scores one - but visitors should have had more

In a week where there has been much talk about Alexander Isak's contract situation, Eddie Howe threw down the gauntlet to his record signing. "If he’s saying he has huge ambitions, he has to be actually doing the business on the pitch," the Newcastle boss said ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Boy did Newcastle need Isak to step up. Not only after losing Anthony Gordon to injury, but after going behind to an early goal against Chelsea. That was the nightmare scenario for a side who have struggled to find the back of the net; Isak had previously scored just once during an injury-disrupted campaign while Newcastle ranked in 16th place in the league for goals; 15th for big chances and shot conversion; and 13th for shots before this match.

However, you would not have known it when Newcastle hit back on the half-hour mark. Tino Livramento, eager to make amends for Chelsea's opener, got on the ball inside his own half and wriggled away from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Moises Caicedo before playing a one-two with Joelinton.

Livramento then found Harvey Barnes out on the left who, rather than cutting inside and shooting, smartly threaded a pass down the line for Lewis Hall on the overlap. Hall's teasing cross was met by Isak, who expertly ghosted in between Levi Colwill and Reece James, to level it up against the club who made an enquiry for him last summer. It was Newcastle's first goal from open play since September 21, but this was an afternoon when the black-and-whites should have scored more.

Wasteful Isak leaves Joelinton floored

In an effort to get back into the game, after going 2-1 down, Eddie Howe turned to his bench midway through the second half and made a triple change as Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy replaced Sandro Tonali, Miguel Almiron and Harvey Barnes. Chelsea may have had stronger options in reserve - such was the talent at the Blues' disposal, Jadon Sancho and Joao Felix didn't even get on - but the changes very nearly had the desired impact for Newcastle.

Willock had not long been on the field when the midfielder dinked the ball across to the unmarked Isak, but there was not enough power behind the Sweden international's header and Reece James blocked the striker's effort. It was the sort of chance Newcastle had to take in a game like this and that was a recurring theme on Sunday.

Just a few minutes later, Wesley Fofana badly misjudged the flight of a bouncing ball and Isak ran clear, rounding Robert Sanchez from a tight angle. The unmarked Joelinton was screaming for the ball at the back post, but Isak took a touch away from goal, which enabled Moises Caicedo to put the ball behind for a corner. Somehow, Newcastle were not level as Joelinton, aghast, dropped to his knees.

Geordies make feelings clear after refereeing call

It feels like a lifetime ago now, but there were 16 minutes on the clock when shaky Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez played the ball straight to Fabian Schar. The Newcastle centre-back fed Alexander Isak, who attempted to play Bruno Guimaraes in - only for Levi Colwill to trip the Brazil international just outside the area.

Simon Hooper had a good view. However, on an afternoon Newcastle fans repeatedly chanted 'You're not fit to referee!', following some curious decisions, the official did not give a free-kick.

There could only be a VAR intervention if the watching Jarred Gillett thought it was a red card and a denial of a goal scoring opportunity, but the defenders were 'in close proximity' so nothing was given. Pundit Roy Keane, though, felt Chelsea were 'very lucky' to escape.

Newcastle need St James' at its best on Wednesday as hoodoo goes on

Want to feel old? Lewis Hall was just seven years of age when Newcastle recorded their one and only Premier League win at Stamford Bridge back in 2012. That's how unhappy a hunting ground SW6 has been for the Magpies. A rotten run continues.

You have to go back to January for the last time Newcastle beat a European rival, Aston Villa, on their travels and even further to May, 2023 for the last time the black-and-whites even got a point on the road against a member of the established order.

Newcastle, however, cannot afford to dwell on this defeat. Next up? Chelsea. In the Carabao Cup. On Wednesday night. It already feels like a potentially season-defining game at St James' Park.