Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle United - The Blues stroll past the Magpies

Newcastle started the more lively, and registered the first shot on target, but Mikel Merino could only fire into the chest of Thibaut Courtois.

Chelsea's only real half chance fell to Alvaro Morata on the right, but the Spaniard smashed a shot over the bar with the outside of his boot.

Stamford Bridge was shocked after Jacob Murphy tried to dribble round the keeper, was felled, and then the rebound was smashed home by Dwight Gayle. The Magpies deserved their early lead. 0-1.

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That seemed to wake up the Champions though. Cesc Fabregas played a marvellous ball over the top, which Eden Hazard got on the end of, but was denied at point blank range by Karl Darlow. An excellent save.

The Newcastle keeper then counted himself very lucky. He jumped through the back of Morata to stop the striker from getting on the end of a cross. Chelsea were convinced it was a penalty, but nothing was given.

The Blues really cranked up the pressure after that and they almost levelled things through Andreas Christensen. N'Golo Kante did well to pick him out in the centre, but his header hit the post and come back out.

Newcastle could not hold out for long though. Florian Lejeune stopped the initial ball into the box, but the advancing Hazard latched onto the loose ball and volleyed past Darlow. 1-1.

The Magpies could not get out of their own half after that, and they did eventually fall behind. Matt Ritchie totally misjudged his headed clearance, giving the ball straight to Victor Moses, who set up Morata to head his ninth of the season. Very very poor defending. 2-1.

After the restart, Chelsea looked to finish the game early. Christensen sent Moses free down the right and his low cross was met by Morata again, but he blasted over the bar.

Hazard then tried to take matters in his own hands when he cut in from the left. His strike took a wild deflection off of Ciaran Clark, but thankfully for the Irishman, the ball trickled wide.

Victor Moses had a half chance with a header, but it was comfortable for Darlow. The game had really died down by this point.

Chelsea strolled through the rest of the game and that was apparent when Hazard dinked a penalty down the middle of the goal. Ritchie had again been caught out by Moses, and chopped him down on the edge of the box.

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Jonjo Shelvey come on and almost immediately, he gave the ball away, allowing Chelsea to break, but Darlow denied Hazard again.

Clark did try to reduce the arrears late on, but his header sailed over the bar. That was the best that Newcastle could muster against a very strong Chelsea side.

A game that Newcastle were not expected to get anything out of. They did not lose through a lack of effort. Chelsea were simply better in all areas. These are not the games Newcastle have to win, it is those like next week. Leicester at home. Anything but a win is not really acceptable at this point.