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WHAT DID ALAN SHEARER SAY ABOUT REECE JAMES? THE TACTICAL SHIFT THAT STUNNED NEWCASTLE

Alan Shearer praises Reece James as his brilliant free-kick inspires Chelsea to a 2-2 draw after Newcastle’s Woltemade double.

What did Alan Shearer say about Reece James? The tactical shift that stunned Newcastle
How Reece James sparked a massive turnaround.

Alan Shearer said Reece James totally changed the game in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Newcastle on Saturday.

Nick Woltemade scored twice, putting Newcastle ahead. Then, James nailed an awesome free kick from 25 yards out for Chelsea.

Joao Pedro evened the score in the 66th minute, so both teams walked away with a point from a nail-biter at St. James Park.

Shearer told the Premier League website after the game, ‘If you want to see how goals can turn a game around, look at what happened with Chelsea after Reece James’ free kick.

‘It just totally flipped. Newcastle couldn't even get close to Chelsea after that goal.

‘Chelsea started moving the ball way faster, spread out more, and their wingers became a threat, which they definitely weren't in the first half.’

James said it felt great to score that free kick.

James' free kick was the first direct one against Newcastle in the Premier League since Raheem Sterling scored one for Chelsea at St. James’ Park back in November 2023.

Chelsea captain James has two league goals this season, which is as many as he scored in 2022-23 (one), 2023-24 (0), and 2024-25 (one) altogether.

Talking to TNT Sports about his amazing free kick, James said, ‘It felt really good to score when we seriously needed something to turn things around.

‘It’s tough to play here. The crowd gets too many teams. When you can’t win, it’s crucial not to lose.’

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said about James after the match, ‘[It was a] great game.

‘He played as a midfielder for an hour and then as a full-back for the last half hour. We’re really happy for him.’

James also said about the draw, ‘It was a game of two very parts. They played better than us in the first one.

‘We had to look at what was happening and make some changes, and we came out strong in the second. Things changed fast.

‘The messages at halftime were about being more aggressive and putting in more effort. They were winning too many loose balls in the first one, and we needed to step up. And we did in the second one.’

WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS

Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.

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Managing Cole Palmer’s return

After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.

Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.

Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.

Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.

The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.

Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.

Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.

He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.

Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.

Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.

There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.

Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.

It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.

He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.

BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE

Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.

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Chelsea's winless run continues as Maresca falls ill

Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.

The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.

So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.

Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.

After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.

Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.

"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.

The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.

Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.

Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.

About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."

But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.

Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.

But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.

Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.

But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.

After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.

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