THIS always had the look of a difficult period for Newcastle United, and it is safe to say that it has not started well.

A defeat at Chelsea might have been less of a surprise than last weekend’s home reverse at home to Brighton, but it was every bit as damaging with the Magpies now languishing in the bottom half of the table. With a meeting with Arsenal following Wednesday’s Carabao Cup return game with Chelsea, things could well get worse before they get better.

Newcastle paid for their defensive deficiencies against the Blues, with the home side’s goalscorers, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer, causing a succession of problems. The Magpies were a threat at the other end, and having scored towards the end of the first half, Alexander Isak spurned a great chance to equaliser after rounding Robert Sanchez in the second. Ultimately, though, Newcastle could have few complaints about the final outcome.

The visitors’ problems started pretty much as soon as Palmer first picked up the ball. The lack of a natural defensive midfielder in the Newcastle ranks was a major issue, with Bruno Guimaraes’ upfield wanderings leaving his side exposed and Dan Burn unsure whether to step out to try to plug the gap in front of the Magpies’ back four or sit tight even if it meant allowing Chelsea’s forward to have possession.

Burn was twice turned by Jackson inside the opening four minutes, the second of which would have resulted in a goal had Palmer not strayed marginally offside.

A break in play gave Eddie Howe the chance to hold an impromptu tactics session on the side of the pitch, but the visitors proved incapable of stemming the flow of Chelsea’s attacking and fell behind in the 18th minute.

Palmer was at the heart of things again, sending Pedro Neto scampering away down the left. The winger evaded Fabian Schar’s desperate sliding challenge, and squared for an unmarked Jackson to slot home.

Defensively, Newcastle were all over the place, but they were carrying a threat at the other end, with Chelsea’s backline also looking shaky.

Isak was showing no ill effects from his recent foot problem, and while he perhaps should have taken a shot rather than setting up Harvey Barnes and Sandro Tonali for efforts that were blocked shortly before the half-hour mark, the Swede was in the right place at the right time to equalise five minutes later.

Newcastle’s leveller was the result of a superb passing move that involved Tino Livramento and Joelinton before Barnes slipped Lewis Hall away down the left. The former Chelsea full-back slid over an excellent low cross, and Isak converted from close range.

Having restored parity, Newcastle needed to keep their opponents at bay in the early stages of the second half. Instead, they conceded an extremely poor goal to fall behind again two minutes after the interval.

Isak conceded possession close to the halfway line, enabling Romeo Lavia to prod the ball to Palmer. Newcastle’s defenders dropped off English football’s most in-form goalscorer, and Pope allowed Palmer’s low strike to whistle past his right hand when he should really have kept the ball out.

Once again, the Magpies were rocking, and they might well have collapsed entirely had Neto hit the target rather than heading Noni Madueke’s cross against the post just three minutes after Palmer scored.

As was the case in the first half, though, Chelsea seemed to blow themselves out with their early attacking, and Newcastle finished the game the stronger as they looked for a second equaliser.

It should have arrived with 15 minutes left, but Isak wasted a great chance to claim his second goal of the game. Released into the right of the box, the striker looked certain to score as he rounded Sanchez, but having turned back inside, and with only a backtracking Levi Colwill to beat, he hesitated before shooting, enabling Chelsea’s defenders to crowd him out. Had he been more decisive, or passed to an unmarked Joelinton, Newcastle might well have claimed a point.