Chelsea staged a dramatic comeback at St James’ Park as Joao Pedro scored against his former suitors to earn the Blues a 2-2 draw with Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Newcastle appeared firmly in control at the interval after Nick Woltemade struck twice to give the hosts a commanding 2-0 lead, sending the home crowd into raptures.
However, the Magpies’ recent struggles in holding on to leads resurfaced after the break.
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The momentum shifted early in the second half when Chelsea captain Reece James curled a superb free-kick from 25 yards to reduce the deficit.
Tension rose moments later as Newcastle appeals for a penalty were waved away following a challenge on Anthony Gordon, further unsettling the home side.
Chelsea made the pressure count when Joao Pedro, who chose a move to Stamford Bridge over Newcastle last summer, grabbed the equaliser.
The Brazilian latched onto a defensive error, surged clear and calmly finished past Aaron Ramsdale to silence the crowd.
Both teams pushed for a winner in an open finale, with substitute Harvey Barnes going closest for Newcastle, only to blaze over from a promising position late on.
The draw leaves Chelsea comfortably in fourth place, six points ahead of Newcastle, who remain in the bottom half of the table as questions persist over their ability to protect leads.
