Christmas really has come early for Newcastle United; the Magpies will spend December 25 in the top three following a 1-0 win against Chelsea at St James' Park. No wonder the players savoured the moment in front of the Leazes End at full-time as they punched the air, waved their arms up and down and whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
This is not a vintage Chelsea side - far from it - but Newcastle made the visitors look poor with the intensity with which they played in the final game before the World Cup. Most impressively, Eddie Howe's side found a way to win a tight contest thanks to a superb finish from Joe Willock midway through the second half.
After previously going toe to toe with Man City, unnerving Liverpool (even in defeat), earning a point at Old Trafford and beating Spurs in their own backyard, this felt like a real scalp for third-placed Newcastle. In the words of matchwinner Willock: "We're here to compete - not to take part."
