London: Moussa Sissoko scored twice as Newcastle overcame Chelsea 3-2 in a thriller at St James` Park on Saturday afternoon.
Jonas Gutierrez flicked a header home to give the Magpies the lead, but Frank Lampard and Juan Mata turned the game on its head after the break before Sissoko struck twice to win a massive three points for the Magpies.
The hosts were unchanged from their 2-1 midweek win over Aston Villa, while Rafa Benitez elected to play Demba Ba from the start on his return to St James` Park and gave John Terry a first Premier League start for nearly three months after a knee injury.
Ba was booed and jeered whenever the ball went near him in a quiet start that saw Petr Cech make simple saves from Yoan Gouffran and Davide Santon.
The visitors worked their way into the match patiently and should have taken the lead on 15 minutes. Mata`s excellent chipped pass found Ashley Cole on the left whose cut-back came to Lampard 12 yards out, but the midfielder lashed over with his left foot.
Alan Pardew`s side were well on top though, Yohan Cabaye warmed Cech`s gloves from range and Papiss Cisse wasted a gilt-edged one-on-one chance with the Czech shot-stopper.
Cabaye and Santon volleyed efforts wide after dithering in the Chelsea defence, but the atmosphere was cranked up to another notch on the half-hour as Ramires launched into Gutierrez two-footed, but only picking up a booking.
Ba then found himself with a great chance to silence the home support as he raced clear on Krul off Lampard`s pass, but he fired his first effort at the Dutchman and nodded his follow-up wide while being caught in the face by Coloccini`s boot.
Cisse wasted another one-on-one after Sissoko`s effort was charged down, but the home fans were soon cheering as Santon`s cross from the left was flicked home by Gutierrez to give the Toon a richly-deserved lead.
Ba had played on after his challenge with Coloccini, despite appearing to have broken his nose and having a bandage applied, although he was substituted immediately after the goal, with Fernando Torres replacing him.
After 10 quiet second-half minutes the tie was levelled by Lampard in stunning fashion as the 35-year-old let a throw-in from the left run across his body before launching a 30-yard rocket past Krul.
The visitors were soon in front as Branislav Ivanovic charged down the right before finding Torres in the box. The Chelsea No.9 set the ball for Mata who curled a perfect effort into the far corner.
Newcastle were flagging but they rallied magnificently and, after Cisse was denied by a great intervention from John Terry, drew level as Yoann Gouffran was set clear by a long clearance. His effort was parried by Cech into the path of Sissoko who gleefully tucked home on his home debut.
Both sides pushed for a late winner and it was Newcastle who found it as Santon burst down the left before cutting back to Sissoko who thundered a low effort past Cech.
The visitors almost equalised late in the day but Steven Taylor bravely blocked Lamaprd`s effort to cap off a stunning afternoon of football.
Goal.com
First Published: Sunday, February 03, 2013, 09:34