Palmer stars for Chelsea in EPL thriller

LONDON (AP):

Cole Palmer capped an impressive display with a goal and an assist as Chelsea beat Newcastle 3-2 in a pulsating English Premier League (EPL) match on Monday.

In front of England manager Gareth Southgate, the 21-year-old Palmer pulled the strings in midfield for the London club.

His 11th goal this season made him the sixth Chelsea player to score in five consecutive league matches. Chelsea have not lost a league game at home in the month of March since 2001.

The result cut the four-point gap between Newcastle in 10th and Chelsea in 11th to one point.

Palmer’s goal came 12 minutes into the second half. He found space just outside the Newcastle penalty area and fired home a low shot.

Nicolas Jackson gave the home side the lead after six minutes when he diverted a shot from Palmer past Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Although they lost in-form winger Anthony Gordon to injury 10 minutes before halftime, Newcastle fought back and eight minutes later got an equaliser when Alexander Isak found the net with a perfectly placed shot from 18 yards out.

Substitute Mykhailo Mudryk made it 3-1 to Chelsea in the 76th just five minutes after replacing Raheem Sterling.

Jacob Murphy got a goal back for the visitors in the 90th but his rasping strike was not enough to stop Chelsea taking all three points and prevent Newcastle from recording their first home-and-away double over the Blues since the 1986-87 season.