Palmer pulls strings for all-action Chelsea

Enzo Maresca's concern that Chelsea lack leaders may have foundation, but one of his players is consistently setting the right tone.

- Nick Ames

This was another match-winning display from Cole Palmer, his seventh goal of the season, ensuring the broader sense of progress in these parts remains strong, and it brought the latest frustration for a Newcastle side now winless in five top-flight games.

Chelsea may lack the level of control that would satisfy their hyper-active head coach, but they do have Palmer, who is unplayable at his best and who also contributed brilliantly to Nicolas Jackson's opener. They needed this response to the narrow defeat at Anfield and, despite riding their luck on occasion, deserved to climb a point behind Aston Villa.

The gap would probably be wider if Alexander Isak, having rounded Robert Sanchez 15 minutes from time, had squared for Joelinton or arranged his feet to convert from a tight angle. Instead, he let the chance slip away, and Eddie Howe's manifest exasperation spoke of his team's need to get back on track. It was one of few clear chances for the visitors, most of their openings coming when Chelsea's intensity and composure went awry.