The Magpies only started the day ahead of their visitors on goals scored, yet it took just two minutes to separate themselves from the Blues as Sandro Tonali met Jacob Murphy’s cross with a first-time finish that bounced over Robert Sánchez.
The pressure was unrelenting in the opening quarter-hour, with Chelsea having periods where they couldn’t get up the pitch at all, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy each had a shot blocked and Bruno Guimarães volleyed off-target.
Alexander Isak then mishit a shot that was gathered by Sánchez, before Cole Palmer hit Chelsea’s first shots of the game in the 21st minute but saw them both blocked.
The visitors grew into the game with Moisés Caicedo smashing a venomous shot wide shortly after, but their prospects for the entire season were dealt a major blow in the 36th minute.
Having initially been awarded a yellow card, Nicolas Jackson was sent off after a VAR review for elbowing Sven Botman in the face, meaning the striker will miss the rest of the league campaign. Burn and Trevoh Chalobah then made a timely block each to deny Pedro Neto and Barnes at either end before the break.
There was a lack of clear opportunities after the restart despite the action being very open, with Isak sending his volley from Tonali’s corner spinning over the crossbar shortly before the hour mark. When Nick Pope was finally tested, the Newcastle goalkeeper did well to get down and deny Marc Cucurella’s fizzing strike.
Chelsea still looked menacing at times and there was a nervousness around St James’ Park, which Guimarães and Barnes couldn’t ease when they spurned presentable chances to grow their lead.
After Pope denied Enzo Fernández with a brilliant fingertip save and Reece James headed over, Guimarães eventually brought that relief and put the game to bed with a strike that looped off Malo Gusto’s outstretched boot and over Sánchez.
That secured Newcastle’s third consecutive game unbeaten, as they climbed to third in the PL table and gave their UCL hopes a major boost. They also ended Chelsea’s five-game winning streak across all competitions, and the Blues will drop out of the top five if Nottingham Forest beat Leicester.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)