Newcastle United 2 Chelsea 1

NEWCASTLE UNITED became the first Premier League side to beat Chelsea this season with a superb performance at St James’ Park.

Papiss Cisse scored a second-half brace, before Didier Drogba reduced the deficit after Steven Taylor’s late sending-off.

The Magpies go one better than their North-East rivals Sunderland, who became the first side to stop Chelsea scoring last weekend – and Newcastle can claim credit for ending the Blues’ 23-game unbeaten run with a fine battling display.

Chelsea had the best of the early play, dominating possession, with Willian, Oscar and Cesc Fabregas all going close in the opening exchanges.

Newcastle were made to wait half an hour before registering their first chance on goal, when Jack Colback collected Ayoze Perez’s pass only to be denied by Blues goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The two combined again on 37 minutes when Colback fired over from range after Perez’s block-tackle on Gary Cahill, as Newcastle finished the first half the better side.

Rob Elliot was a half-time casualty, limping off the St James’ Park pitch at the interval, which led to Jak Alnwick’s first competitive action for Newcastle.

And the youngster’s first touch of the ball wasn’t a bad one, wiping out Diego Costa to clear Fabregas’ free-kick.

Jon Obi Mikel headed wide for Chelsea, Fabregas again the provider, but moments later it was Newcastle who scored, ending Chelsea’s eight-hour clean sheet in the process.

Cheik Tiote swung a ball in that took a deflection for Cisse, who was on as a substitute for the ineffectual Remy Cabella, to poke past Courtois.

It was almost two, moments later when Moussa Sissoko headed over Courtois’ bar, before Chelsea went on the prowl again.

But Newcastle, to a man, defended doggedly, repelling attack after attack, and nicked their second goal on the counter-attack.

Colback slotted in Sissoko, who superbly pulled it back for Cisse to stroke into an unguarded net on 78 minutes.

But in the space of two minutes, the Magpies went from comfortable to hanging on when Taylor received his marching orders for a second yellow card, the second challenge on Andre Schurrle particularly poor.

Fabregas whipped in a free-kick which Drogba nodded past Alnwick to set up a tense final seven minutes.

Alnwick made a fine save to stop Diego Costa on 89 minutes with Chelsea camped in the Newcastle half, and it was backs to the wall even further when referee Martin Atkinson added six minutes on at the end.

But Newcastle stayed strong and hung on to secure a famous – and deserved – victory.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-3-3): Elliot (Alnwick 46); Janmaat, Coloccini, Taylor, Dummett; Sissoko, Tiote, Colback; Cabella (Cisse 53), Perez, Ameobi (Williamson 83). Substitutes not used: Anita, Gouffran, Haidara, Riviere.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta (Felipe 67); Fabregas, Mikel; Willian (Drogba 57), Hazard, Oscar (Schurrle 61); Diego Costa. Substitutes not used: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Ramires, Drogba, Schurrle, Remy.