Chelsea faced Newcastle United in the final match of their despondent English Premier League season.
Frank Lampard took charge of the ultimate game of his caretaker managerial spell as the Blues continue to gear up for Mauricio Pochettino’s impending arrival.
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Silva, Chalobah, Hall, Gallagher, Enzo, Loftus-Cheek, Madueke, Havertz and Sterling.
Newcastle United XI: Dubravka, Trippier, Schär, Botman, Targett, Guimaraes, Anderson, Gordon, Isak, Almiron and Saint-Maximin.
The Blues played to a 4-1 defeat to Man United last time out, a win that saw United secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the new season.
Newcastle in contrast, played out a goalless stalemate against Leicester last time out to also seal UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time since 2003.
Frank Lampard has failed to clinch a home win during his second managerial stint at Chelsea.
The magpies and The Blues played out an enthralling 1-1 draw to conclude a successful and underwhelming season respectively for both sides at Stamford Bridge.
Newcastle had already sealed their objective and qualified for the Champions League, but they had not come to west London to hand Lampard the consolation of a victory to cap his brief reign, and so played with intent and style.
For Chelsea at the end of a rather dismal season, there were at last flashes of a brighter future with Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and substitute Carney Chukwuemeka – none of them older than 21 – the outstanding trident.
Anthony Gordon netted his first goal for the Magpies before Kieran Trippier cancelled out Newcastle United lead as he put through his own net to level the scores up.
The result means Champions League-bound Newcastle finished the season in fourth, while Chelsea miss the chance to surpass Crystal Palace as they finished in 12th and in the bottom half for the first time since 1995-96 campaign.
Newcastle United began proceedings the more energetic of the two sides
Newcastle started the brighter of the two sides, Allan Saint-Maximin ran at Trevoh Chalobah with the ball and as the Chelsea defender backed off, he slipped the ball through to Aleksander Isak.
Isak’s low effort was well blocked by the legs of Spain International Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Newcastle took the lead inside nine minutes as Allan Saint-Maximin found Elliot Anderson on the overlap, and he crossed for Gordon to force home his first goal since a January move from Everton.
Chelsea then restored equity 18 minutes later, Enzo Fernandez’s swift free kick released Raheem Sterling down the channel and his drilled cross from the right was deflected home by the unlucky Newcastle skipper Trippier.
Just before half time, Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron drew a fine save from Kepa Arrizabalaga and Dubravka denied Chelsea’s Sterling before Matt Targett cleared off the line.
The home side began to assert their supremacy in the second half, but Dubravka was largely less busy, with Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and Sterling all shooting over and wide
Newcastle United hit the bar through 17-year-old substitute Lewis Miley, on his Premier League debut, but both teams deserved a point as any of the side could have won it.
Match Highlights Below:
