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Chelsea slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon and the result has significantly hampered their chances of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea got off to a very poor start as Sandro Tonali gave the home side the lead in just the second minute of the game.
But it was Nicolas Jackson’s sending off in the 36th minute that tilted the game in Newcastle’s favour.
Chelsea tried their best to make a fist of the contest despite being a man down. But the numerical advantage proved to be decisive as Bruno Guimaraes secured all three points via a deflected shot right at the end of the game.
The result saw Newcastle move to third in the Premier League table, while Chelsea remain in fifth.
Eddie Howe’s men were helped by Nicolas Jackson’s red card, which has now left the Blues without a recognised striker for their final two fixtures of the season.
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What Bruno Guimaraes had to say about Chelsea after the game
After helping Newcastle secure a crucial three points in the race for Champions League football, Guimaraes analysed Chelsea’s performances and highlighted one major weakness that the Blues have had this season.
“We have seen from the start about Chelsea that they start a little bit slow,” the Brazilian was quoted as saying by The Northern Echo. “We try to score first, and we did this. I think this was a big one for us. We enjoyed scoring first and this was part of the gaffer’s plan, so give him some credit.”
Though the defeat to Newcastle was a major setback to Chelsea, qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League is still in their hands. They will have to beat Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in the final two league games of the season to secure their place in Europe’s premier club competition next season.
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