NEWCASTLE UNITED crashed back into the Premier League relegation zone as a series of defensive calamities contributed to a 5-1 thrashing at Chelsea.

The Magpies committed a series of errors, with Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini especially culpable, as they were repeatedly carved open at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea scored three goals in the opening 19 minutes through Diego Costa, Pedro and Willian, with Newcastle’s failure to make tackles or track runners into the box making them vulnerable whenever the hosts attacked.

Pedro and substitute Bertrand Traore added further goals in the second half, and while Andros Townsend claimed a 90th-minute consolation, the final result leaves the Magpies in 18th position, a point ahead of Sunderland but below Norwich City on goal difference.

Newcastle now have an 18-day wait until they return to action at Stoke City, by which time their position might well have worsened.

Steve McClaren named the same side that had secured a crucial home win over West Brom seven days earlier, but any thoughts of a repeat display disappeared as Newcastle conceded two goals in a catastrophic opening ten minutes.

From the outset, the visitors were a shambles, disorganised and nervous at the back, failing to track runners in midfield and easily brushed aside in the attacking third.

Taylor and Coloccini were all over the place at the heart of the back four, Rolando Aarons was repeatedly exposed at left-back and Jonjo Shelvey only appeared to be interested in having a running argument with assistant boss Paul Simpson, who was standing on the touchline.

As a result, the game was effectively over as soon as it had begun.

Chelsea opened the scoring in the fifth minute, with Willian skipping past Cheick Tiote in order to slide Costa into the area. Costa sprinted past Taylor to receive possession and slid a precise finish into the far corner.

Four minutes later, and the hosts were doubling their lead. Aarons was at fault this time, failing to find Daryl Janmaat with a suicidal square ball and granting Pedro a clear run on goal. The Spaniard steadied himself on the edge of the area before side-footing past Rob Elliot.

Andros Townsend fired a weak effort at Thibaut Courtois as Newcastle staged a rare foray into Chelsea territory, but the hosts’ superiority was emphatic and they added a third goal 19 minutes in.

This time it was Moussa Sissoko needlessly giving the ball away at the start of the move, enabling Cesc Fabregas to release Costa into the area. The striker unselfishly squared the ball across goal, and with no one tracking his run into the box, Willian side-footed home.

Chelsea continued to create chances throughout the first half, with Branislav Ivanovic seeing a shot blocked by Aarons and Taylor getting in the way of another effort from John Terry.

Newcastle only created one meaningful opportunity before the break, but while Georginio Wijnaldum met Janmaat’s cross from the right, his swivelled strike was aimed straight at Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

While Courtois was under-worked throughout, Rob Elliot was forced to make two fine saves at the end of the opening period, first gathering Pedro’s shot after the Spaniard was slid in by Costa, and then turning Willian’s chipped free-kick around the post.

McClaren’s attempt at a half-time reorganisation saw Jack Colback come on for the bitterly disappointing Wijnaldum, but while Newcastle might have threatened at the start of the second half had Cesar Azpilicueta not produced an excellent challenge to deny Shelvey when he was just about to shoot, it was the home side who continued to dominate.

Their fourth goal arrived shortly before the hour mark, with more desperately poor defending from Newcastle proving a key factor once again.

Taylor completely missed his header as he attempted to deal with Fabregas’ chipped ball over the top, enabling Pedro to chest the ball down and slot home from inside the area.

The goal sparked another reorganisation, with Jamaal Lascelles coming on as McClaren switched to a five-man defence.

However, there was still time for Chelsea to score again with seven minutes left, with Traore bursting ahead of Taylor to convert Azpilicueta’s low cross from the edge of the six-yard box.

Newcastle got onto the scoresheet in the final minute, with Townsend cutting in from the right-hand side before driving home his first goal since his January move from Tottenham.

 

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (Baba 37), Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Willian (Loftus-Cheek 80), Hazard, Pedro; Costa (Traore 60).

Subs (not used): Begovic (gk), Mikel, Kenedy, Remy.

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Elliot; Janmaat, Taylor, Coloccini, Aarons; Tiote (Lascelles 66), Shelvey; Sissoko, Wijnaldum (Colback 46), Townsend; Mitrovic (Doumbia 70).

Subs (not used): Darlow (gk), Saivet, Perez, Riviere.