Chelsea 2 Newcastle 1: Cole Palmer runs the show once again as Blues regain spot in top four

COLE PALMER ran the show for Chelsea yet again – but this time with a royal nod from the King of Stamford Bridge.

Gianfranco Zola was in the stands to watch another virtuoso display from the young pretender to his throne. And was clearly impressed.

GettyCole Palmer notched the winner again for Chelsea[/caption]

GettyAlexander Isak celebrates his equaliser[/caption]

ReutersPalmer was the star of the show[/caption]

RexNicolas Jackson clinically put away his sixth goal of the season[/caption]

Even before kickoff, Zola, once voted the best Chelsea player of all time, was gushing about Palmer in a pre-match interview.

By the time the little Italian genius left for home he was purring at the quality of the Premier League’s brightest young talent, who scored a classy goal and provided an even better assist.

Equally, Zola should be a little worried that his place as the all-time greatest at this club is seriously under threat.

Palmer has some way to go to steal the crown but after barely one season is going from strength to strength in terms of his impact and influence at this steadily improving club.

In addition to the powerful low strike that won the match two minutes into the second half, Palmer’s instinctive vision and reading of the game showcased his considerable talent.

He also had a goal ruled out for offside after just four minutes of the first half.

It was the sort of high-end, sophisticated performance that was Zola’s trademark during seven years carving out a reputation as a genuine legend in these parts.

If Chelsea have any sense, Palmer will stick around for even longer to forge a similar legacy.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Head coach Enzo Maresca has called for more leadership in his young team. Palmer is not the noisiest but leads this team by example week in, week out.

When his goal was rightly flagged offside Palmer simply shrugged it off and turned his attention to setting up a goal 12 minutes later with a sublime pass.

From in front of the D of his own area, he found space with a turn then sliced a pass upfield inside Newcastle right back Tino Livarmento with Pedro Neto giving chase.

The Portuguese was first to the ball then rode the lunging tackle of Fabian Schar and squared for Nicolas Jackson to plant the ball in the back of the net.

A clinical finish but impressive vision from Palmer in the first place to set the hares running in the first place.

It’s not often you’ll see Chelsea’s most naturally talented player digging them out of trouble from way back in his own half. He should do it more.

Everything revolved around Palmer but there is also no debate that Chelsea are far from the finished article yet.

Keeper Robert Sanchez put them under needless pressure with some extraordinarily poor distribution of the ball.

And Newcastle needed help because they were threatening very little before grabbing their equaliser on 32 minutes.

Just one win on the road before kick-off and free-flowing football in short supply. No goals in the two previous Premier League games and those that did arrive were from penalties in successive games.

So when Isak, no goals at all since September 1, was positioned in the six-yard box to bundle home a cross from Lewis Hall it was a rare sight.

So much so that the away fans inside Stamford Bridge weren’t sure whether the repeated replays on the screen were to check for a possible offside or just to make sure they weren’t actually dreaming.

A five man move neatly passing by Chelsea’s stagnant midfield.

Harvey Barnes eventually fed Lewis Hall on the overlap and the former Blues left-back delivered a ball into the danger area for Isak to prod the ball over the line.

It was an ungainly goal compared to Chelsea’s swish delivery earlier.

But it was Newcastle’s first from open play in more than seven hours of football – including a tougher than expected Carabao Cup win over League Two Wimbledon.

And there was a touch of Kings Road panache about Palmer when Chelsea restored their lead just two minutes into the second half.

Picking up a pass forwards from Romeo Lavia just inside Newcastle’s half, the ginger bomber glided through Newcastle’s defence unchallenged before powering a left-foot shot to beat Pope at his near post.

Newcastle’s keeper had earlier produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Neto. He wasn’t quite so agile in this instance.

But it was upfront where Howe’s team really lacked instinct.

Having levelled for his team, Isak carved out a brilliant opportunity to do it again when he got the better of Wesley Fofana, rounded keeper Sanchez and merely had to punt the ball into the net albeit, from a tight angle.

But the striker took one step too many, got tangled up in his own feet with Moises Caicedo ultimately coming to Chelsea’s rescue with a timely tackle.

Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall simply held his hands in the air in despair and rightly so.

Palmer even set up the chance from which Chelsea thought they had won a penalty when Dan Burn nudged over Chris Nkunku. But VAR decided the Chelsea forward had gone to ground way too softly.