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After a brilliant Newcastle start, where they should have taken the lead, Chelsea rode their luck before asserting their dominance and recording a 2-0 win .
The Blues had Petr Cech to thank for keeping the game at 0-0, their deposed No 1 restored to the starting XI by Jose Mourinho and proving he is still one of the best in the Premier League, if not the best.
Cech made good saves from the impressive Remy Cabella and another from a Yoan Gouffran free-kick; although he could do nothing when Moussa Sissoko crashed the ball against the post.
The Blues scored firmly against the run of play, Willian's quick thinking from a corner allowing Oscar a tap-in at the far post.
After that goal Newcastle rather run out of steam, while Chelsea grew in confidence and eventually found another, Oscar providing a brilliant flick for Diego Costa to finish.
It might have been easy in the end, but for a long time Chelsea were second best in this one.
Scroll through our gallery to see how each player scored
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratingsShow all 23 1 /23Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Petr Cech Kept the Blues in the game at 0-0 with fine saves from Cabella and Gouffran. Mourinho should keep him in the team until he makes a mistake worthy of dropping him – which seems unlikely given his previous 10 years at the club. 9/10
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Branislav Ivanovic Like the whole team, started slowly but found his way into the game. Was his usual solid defensive self and offered a decent threat going forward. 7
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Kurt Zouma Looked nervy to begin but grew in confidence; Zouma is still a raw talent but has all the tools to succeed in the top flight. 6
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings John Terry Terry was all at sea on a couple of occasions with the absence of usual partner Cahill not helping matters. Was lucky Cech was in such fine form. 6
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta Picked up a first-half injury and was replaced by Filipe Luis - did little of note at either end. 4
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Cesc Fabregas Has looked tired in the last couple of weeks. The return of Ramires should help Mourinho rotate. Helped exert control once Chelsea went into the lead. 6
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Nemanja Matic Same story as with Fabregas, was overrun by Colback and Sissoko to begin with but eventually wrested control back from the visitors. 6
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Willian Chelsea’s best attacker even when Newcastle were on top, Willian’s quick thinking from a corner changed the game. Prone to running into blind alleys but a top performance. 8
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Oscar Wasn’t that impressive overall, giving the ball away quite often, but made a decisive impact by scoring one and assisting another with a fantastic flick off his heel. 7
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Eden Hazard Showed the occasional mazy dribble and threat on the ball but far from his best. Another in need of a rest. 6
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Diego Costa Should have scored one early but decided to square, Costa was a handful all afternoon for Newcastle’s defenders. Scored with a lovely finish and then had another cleared off the line. 8
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings From the bench: Filipe Luis Cesar Azpilicueta appeared to be struggling before he went off and Luis came on and immediately improved Chelsea down the left hand side. Not always the best defender but possesses an excellent left foot. 7
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Newcastle: Tim Krul Didn’t have a chance with either goal but performed well on his return. Will be crucial for Newcastle for the remainder of the season. 7
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Daryl Janmaat Dealt as well as one could expect with the threat of Eden Hazard. Had a fantastic chance in the first half but blasted well over. 6
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Fabricio Coloccini Holds the Newcastle defence together and dealt with Costa better than his partner. 6
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Mike Williamson Failed to contain Diego Costa who had the better of him throughout the 90mins, even when the visitors were on top. 5
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Paul Dummett A talented young left-back, but Dummett didn’t have his best game. 5
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Moussa Sissoko Really unliucky to hit the post with a fantastic strike in the first-half, Sissoko showed the kind of drive that has seen him linked with Arsenal 7
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Vurnon Anita Held the middle of the park well in Tiote’s absence and will be much needed while his team-mate is at the African Cup of Nations. 7
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Jack Colback Started furiously and was all over Fabregas and Matic before the Chelsea pair fought back. Had Newcastle taken advantage of their chances he would’ve been the man of the match. 7
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Remy Cabella Arguably his best game in a Newcastle shirt, Cabella was the best player on the pitch in the first half but faded badly. 7
Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Ayoze Perez Works his socks off and helped put Chelsea under a huge amount of pressure. He too faded and was unable to fight back Chelsea’s might. 6
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Chelsea 2 Newcastle 0 player ratings Yoan Gouffran Playing in a central role Gouffran was always on the periphery, it was those around him causing the biggest threat. 5
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