Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has slammed Newcastle United for their style of play in their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
The Blues dominated possession at the weekend, and secured all three points thanks to an own goal from defender DeAndre Yedlin and a penalty from Eden Hazard, condemning United to their second defeat.
However, Redknapp has heavily criticised the Magpies not getting hold of the ball often enough, and wrote how it would have been a dire injustice if Rafa Benitez’ team had escaped with a point from this fixture.
“If Chelsea play Sarri-ball — trying to dominate possession — then Newcastle play Rafa-ball. They don’t want to touch the ball at all,” Redknapp wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“Benitez’s side were a real turn-off on Sunday. It would have been a travesty if they had escaped with a point.”
OPINION
The tactics employed by Rafa Benitez in this match obviously did not go the way he wanted them to. The midfield hardly got a look-in with Chelsea dominating the possession, and a Premier League top-ten team like them should be giving the Blues a much harder time than they did on Sunday. However, Jonjo Shelvey was absent in this match, and he is arguably one of Benitez’ best midfielders at the moment. His presence was undoubtedly missed against Chelsea, and this may be one of the reasons why their ability to keep hold of the ball suffered. However, Redknapp is right – if United had come away with a point from this game, it would have been a great injustice to the Blues. Even though Newcastle pegged one back through a header from Joselu, Chelsea outplayed them in most areas of the pitch, and they were unlucky not to have got more from this match.
