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Redknapp – Rafa Benitez was right to pick Dwight Gayle

6 years ago
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Rafa Benitez was proved to have been right when he picked Dwight Gayle ahead of Joselu, according to Jamie Redknapp.

Not many Newcastle fans would disagree…

Gayle put Newcastle one up after 12 minutes, his second goal in three games to go with the one that put NUFC one up at Old Trafford.

Just like that game though, any joy was short-lived.

As Jamie Redknapp says, with Hazard and Fabregas encouraged to express themselves by Antonio Conte, it was always going to be tough/impossible for NUFC to deal with.

Chelsea had some £150m worth of talent on the bench whilst the cost of Newcastle’s starting 11 was more like £70m, no wonder Redknapp talks of ‘a gulf in class’.

Jamie Redknapp talking to Sky Sports:

“I think Graeme (Souness) made a good point before the game.

“When you get Eden Hazard with no real defensive responsibilities, it works so well for them.

“Fabregas was another one and that is what Newcastle couldn’t deal with.

“The two of them were just playing triangles all game…absolutely magnificent.

“It’s hard (for Newcastle) – a gulf in class between the two sets of players.

“It was (right approach to be positive at kick-off) – but there was just a big gulf in class.

“You are looking and Chelsea can bring on Pedro, who didn’t even come on. Then you have got Willian and Bakayoko…

“Newcastle made a good start, they got the goal and you are thinking ‘You have got something to hang onto…’.

“Rafa has made a big decision not playing Joselu, he picked Dwight Gayle and it paid dividends.

“Shay (Given) and I were talking just before the Chelsea goal and I said maybe that they could get something here – but that is when the class really started to count.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Chelsea 3 Newcastle 1

Goals:

Newcastle: Gayle 12

Chelsea: Hazard 21, 74 Morata 33

Possession was Chelsea 66% Newcastle 34%

Total shots were  Chelsea 23 Newcastle 8

Shots on target were  Chelsea 9 Newcastle 2

Corners were  Chelsea 11 Newcastle 4

Referee: Kevin Friend

Newcastle United:

Darlow, Manquillo, Clark, Lejeune, Mbemba, Ritchie, Diame (Shelvey 75), Merino (Yedlin 85), Murphy, Perez (Hayden 62), Gayle

Unused Subs:

Elliot, Joselu, Mitrovic, Aarons

Crowd: 41,538 (Newcastle 3,000)

(Read what Rafa Benitez said after the defeat in West London HERE)

(Alan Shearer gives honest assessment on Chelsea defeat HERE)

(Instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to Chelsea 3 Newcastle 1 – Read HERE)

(Danny Murphy can’t believe this Newcastle player can’t get in the team – Read HERE)

(Mikel Merino speaks after the 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge – Read HERE)

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