Reece James Thiago Silva Joelinton Chelsea NewcastleGetty/GOAL

Chelsea player ratings vs Newcastle: Thiago Silva and Reece James let Mauricio Pochettino down as abysmal Blues get battered

Chelsea's season took another turn for the worse on Saturday as two of their most experienced players cost them in a disastrous 4-1 defeat at Newcastle, just when it appeared the Blues had turned a corner.

It was Eddie Howe's men who initially took the lead, with Alexander Isak criminally being left completely unmarked in the box before he steadied himself and fired past a helpless Robert Sanchez. It was so slack from Chelsea's sleeping defenders, but what came next was a moment of pure genius.

Raheem Sterling - who somehow keeps getting overlooked by England - confidently stepped up to a free-kick from just outside the box and, after a slow stepping run-up, arrowed the ball up and over the wall and past Nick Pope, who didn't even bother diving.

That was about as good as it got for Chelsea, however, as they completely capitulated in the second half, with Jamaal Lascelles nodding in the second before Joelinton was gifted a third, courtesy of Thiago Silva's mistake, moments later. Reece James was then sent off for stupidly pulling back Anthony Gordon, with the 10 men powerless to stop Newcastle adding a fourth via Gordon himself.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from St. James' Park on what turned out to be a truly disastrous afternoon for the Blues...

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