SCOTT ROBSON remembers that rarest of things – a Newcastle United win at Stamford Bridge. Drink it in…
Goals: Chelsea (Van Aanholt 6, Anelka 70, 87 pen), Newcastle United (Ranger 27,Taylor 32, Ameobi 49, 90)
Teams:
CHELSEA: Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry (Alex), Van Aanholt, Bruma, Ramires, Benayoun, Zhirkov, Sturridge, Anelka, Kakuta (Kalou, sub McEachran).
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Collocini (Williamson), Campbell, Taylor (Tiote), Smith, Gutierrez, Vuckic, Ferguson (Barton), Lovenkrands, Ameobi, Ranger.
This game actually did happen. Although did it? Is it that much of a dream to suggest we go to Chelsea and win 4-3 with an injury time Shola Ameobi goal with Sol Campbell at the back and Ranger and Vuckic helping Shola out up front? Got to be a dream. Surely?
If you are looking at scraps to go on on Monday, like Arsenal it’s a famine out there.
Stamford Bridge has seen only a couple of Mag wins since the eighties. The obvious one to write about would be the Cisse game the season after, but that’s surely been done before and while that was gained by two of the most spectacular goals in the history of NUFC, this was done with Sol Campbell at the back and Ranger and Vuckic helping Shola. Did I already mention that? It needs repeating. This was an unreal night, even by our standards.
Chelsea were in prime Abramovich territory. Champions the previous season and leading this one. Carlo Ancelotti was let loose on a club still getting over the special one. They had won their first five games at this point with an aggregate of 24-1. We had just been promoted and wiped the smile off Villa’s face with a six goal win but also lost at home to Blackpool. It really was a case of taking each game on its NUFC merits.
Ok, Chelsea played a second string, but so did we. The halcyon days of the League Cup were gone and top league sides used it to blood squad players, or in Chelsea case players who still cost a hell of a lot of money and some (Zhirkov) that Abramovich insisted on playing.
Our fringe players looked exactly that.
It took six minutes for hope to evaporate as big Sol ran straight into Krul, letting Kakuta set up Van Aanholt, who had been on loan the season before. A fuck up, an early goal and scored by an ex player. Stop if I’ve heard this one before.
However much to our shock, United hit back quickly, Ranger volleying in acrobatically after Ferguson got free and crossed. You heard me right. Then incredibly within five minutes Ryan Taylor (not for the last time) curled in a brilliant free kick.
Those goals were the first Chelsea had conceded at home in ten and a half hours of football.
After being pitied in the first quarter, suddenly we were all over them, winning battles all over the pitch and launching into tackles and straight after half time it was 3-1 as Ameobi carried the ball forward after Chelsea gave away possession and then proceeded to shock the entire world, including himself, by curling in from 25 yards. Ok, maybe this is a dream.
Chelsea lost Benayoun injured and, having used all substitutes, they had to play the last half an hour with ten men, adding to our giddy thoughts of actually winning. Lovenkrands and Shola missed absolute sitters and yes, you know what happened next.
Down to ten and 3-1 down, Chelsea came back. They scored through Anelka with twenty minutes left and then in the last five minutes they got a penalty which Anelka converted. Tiote, on as sub, was very unlucky to concede it as Chelsea got the obligatory helping hand. Basically it was never a bastard penalty.
We all expected to lose in normal time, extra time or penalties at this point but, well, what happened next should be in our folklore. Gutierrez, right in front of the away end, swung a corner in which we won out of relief more than anything else, and Ameobi got in front of his marker to glance a perfect header in the far corner to win it. YESSSSSS!!!
On the same night Northampton beat Liverpool at Anfield, our win was pooh-poohed as not being THAT seismic. Really, all those people don’t know Newcastle United at all.
We beat Chelsea reserves, people, and it’s one of the best wins in a generation.
Of course we lost 4-0 at home in the next round but that’s immaterial, that night we beat Chelsea away with Sol Campbell at the back, with Ranger and Vuckic supporting Ameobi (did I mention that?) and they did a very good job of it.
If this isn’t an inspiration for the class of 2024, nothing is.
SCOTT ROBSON
(Image: Steenbergs, via Creative Commons)
