Sunday evening saw the culmination of both Chelsea and Newcastle's seasons at Stamford Bridge. The contrast in atmospheres in each camp was evident of how both teams' terms had panned out.
The visitors surpassed expectations in 2022/23 with Champions League qualification and the Magpies have appeared on an upward trajectory since their takeover and the appointment of Eddie Howe, with a project that has so-far thrived in sync. Chelsea's struggles on the other hand have been well-documented with a 12th-place finish in the Premier League, four separate figues in charge of the team throughout the season and some hefty spendy to boot.
For Newcastle, arrivals such as Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes settled in seamlessly in early 2022 and have helped lead the side since. That was backed up with arrivals such as Sven Botman and Alexander Isak in the summer, who have also played key roles but Howe has also reinvigorated players such as Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy to play crucial roles.
