'Way too soft' - Reece James hits back at Newcastle penalty claims after late tangle with Harvey Banes in pulsating Chelsea clash

Newcastle had established a comfortable two-nil lead in the first half but a resilient Chelsea side fought back after the break to earn a valuable point. Nick Woltemade scored his first goal in the fourth minute, capitalising on a rebound from an Anthony Gordon shot. Woltemade then doubled the lead in the 20th minute, directing a Gordon cross into the back of the net, which gave the Magpies a commanding lead at half-time. 

The Blues, however, produced a spirited second-half comeback and it was James who sparked the revival with a stunning curling free-kick in the 49th minute and the equaliser came in the 66th when Joao Pedro out-muscled Malick Thiaw to latch onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and slotted the ball low past Aaron Ramsdale. 

Both teams had late chances to win, with Newcastle having a strong penalty appeal for a challenge on Barnes waved away by VAR, a decision that drew boos from the home fans at the final whistle.

On the Barnes challenge, James told TNT Sport: "If this gets given then I’m not sure. I touch him, I don’t pull him. It’s too soft, way too soft for me.

"The season’s long, we have to work game on game, week on week and try and keep on improving. Last season we came here and lost. It was a difficult game, so we’re happy to take a point considering the first-half."

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Chelsea were much improved in the second-half and James revealed what boss Enzo Maresca said to them at half-time to turn the game around. James said: "I think it was clearly a game of two halves. In the first half they got the better of us in nearly every department. In the second half we came out and we had to review and change a few things, we started the second half quick and the game turned quickly. The messages (from the manager) were similar but more demanding, more effort. There were too many second balls they won in the first half that we had to tighten up on and we did that."

And on his stunning  goal, which got the west Londoners back in the games, James added: "To execute one when we needed to pull something out of the bag was a great feeling. It’s a difficult place to come and many teams come here and the atmosphere gets better of them. We didn’t get the win, but it’s important when you can’t win to not lose. The momentum, one goal changed the game, the whole atmosphere quietened down. We knew that if we got one the second one was for sure there. So the task was to get one and see where it took us."

Chelsea's Christmas schedule features three critical Premier League matches as they push for a top-four finish and maintain their slim title credentials. There's a massive match with Chelsea then hosts Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge and their 2025 fixtures conclude with a home fixture against Bournemouth on December 30th. And there’s an eye-catching clash in the New Year as Chelsea face Manchester City in their first league clash of 2026.