Newcastle United surrendered an advantage at St James' Park on Saturday, drawing 2-2 with Chelsea despite leading by two goals inside the first 20 minutes. Nick Woltemade, looking to atone for his own goal in the derby loss to Sunderland, struck twice early to put Eddie Howe's side in control. However, a resurgent Chelsea rallied in the second half with goals from Reece James and Joao Pedro to secure a point.
The result extends Newcastle's clean sheet drought to 10 Premier League games and marks 13 points dropped from winning positions this season, leaving them in 11th place with 23 points, while Chelsea remains fourth on 29 points.
The hosts began with intensity, taking the lead in the fourth minute when Woltemade lashed home a rebound after Robert Sánchez parried Anthony Gordon’s initial volley. The German striker doubled his tally in the 20th minute, toe-poking a Gordon cross past Sánchez, a goal eventually confirmed after a lengthy VAR check.
Newcastle controlled the midfield through Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, and Woltemade nearly completed a first-half hat-trick, volleying another Gordon delivery narrowly wide. Chelsea appeared disjointed for much of the opening 45 minutes, failing to register a shot on target before the break.
Momentum shifted immediately after the interval. Four minutes into the second half, Reece James curled a 30-yard free-kick past Aaron Ramsdale to give the visitors a lifeline. Chelsea found the equalizer in the 66th minute through a direct route; Sánchez launched a long clearance toward Joao Pedro, who capitalized on a slip by defender Malick Thiaw to finish calmly into the bottom corner.
"I told him (Sanchez) at halftime to play this ball to me. I controlled the ball in front and I scored a brilliant goal," Pedro said. James later made a crucial defensive intervention, sliding in to deny Harvey Barnes a late winner for Newcastle.
Controversy surrounded a potential penalty incident while Newcastle still held a 2-1 lead. Trevoh Chalobah appeared to barge Anthony Gordon to the ground, but referee Andy Madley waved play on, and VAR Peter Bankes supported the on-field decision, ruling it as "shielding."
Eddie Howe expressed strong disagreement with the call. "I thought the Anthony Gordon one was the standout one for me... that's a blatant free-kick," Howe said. "It's a clear error, because that's a clear penalty... They've said it is shielding, but I don't agree with that analysis, so I'm really disappointed that wasn't given."
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca acknowledged the game's fluctuating nature, stating, "I think after the first half, they deserved to win the game for sure. From my point of view, after the second half, we deserved to win the game." Chelsea captain Reece James admitted his side had to "review and change a few things" at halftime to turn the game around.