Thomas Tuchel makes immediate impact as Chelsea look back in business for top-four finish

German manager has made his imprint on results and selection alike since replacing the sacked Lampard

CHELSEA RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6: Surprising first Premier League start since October ahead of Edouard Mendy but Newcastle failed miserably to test out the erratic Spaniard. A few simple saves but just not put under any real pressure. Blues manager Thomas Tuchel insisted after the match that Mendy remains No 1. PA

Cesar Azpilicueta - 7: Saw goal-bound header blocked after six minutes and often became over-lapping full-back down right from his position in back three. AP

Andreas Christensen - 7: Stroll in the park as Newcastle offered no attacking threat, with the Dane coping easily with what little was thrown at him. Reuters

Antonio Rudiger - 7: Back in favour under Tuchel and not put under any pressure as likes of Gayle and Joelinton made no impact on Chelsea defence. AP

Callum Hudson-Odoi - 6: Always looking to drive Chelsea forward from out wide although his final product was lacking somewhat with crosses rarely finding a Blue shirt. AFP

Jorginho - 7: Seems revitalised under new manager and ran the centre of midfield alongside Kovacic. Reuters

Mateo Kovacic - 8: A first choice under Tuchel and while he offers nothing in terms of attacking threat, as shown by second-half shot that he curled over when well placed, that’s not what he’s in team for. Strong in the tackle, then simple distribution to Chelsea’s more attacking players. Man of the Match. PA

Marcos Alonso - 7: Had game’s first shot on target after two minutes firing straight at Darlow from tight angle and then supplied Werner with chance to open scoring that attacker should have done better with. Linked up well with German down left. Getty

Mason Mount - 7: Well delivered corner helped set-up second goal but would have been disappointed that two shots just before the break failed to even force a save out of Darlow. Reuters

Timo Werner - 8: Decent opportunity to open scoring 25 minutes in when he sent first-time shot wide of target from Alonso’s cushioned header. Too good for Krafth down left as German helped set-up opener for Giroud. Clipped half-volley over bar minutes after that goal and deserved to end his drought with scruffy finish following Lascelles error. AFP

Tammy Abraham - 5: Striker picked up ankle injury, after sliding Lascaelles challenge denied him shot on goal, that he couldn’t run off. Lasted less than 20 minutes on return to team. PA

SUBS: Oliver Giroud – (On for Abraham 20’) 6: Early introduction due to Abraham injury, making a 100th Premier League appearance as a substitute. Blasted home Chelsea’s first goal just after half-hour mark when low cross from Werner ended up at his feet via Darlow save. AFP

N’golo Kante – (On for Mount 70’) 6: Slotted into midfield with no problems. AFP

Reece James – (On for Hudson-Odai 78’) N/A.

NEWCASTLE RATINGS: Karl Darlow - 6: Slightly unfortunate when he diverted Werner’s cross straight to Giroud for opening goal. Tried desperately to keep out Werner’s shot for second, to no avail. PA

Emil Krafth - 6: Right-back struggled to deal with Werner and Alonso from the off and was easily beaten by German in run-up to Chelsea opener. Better in second half. EPA

Jamaal Lascelles - 6: Captain returned to starting XI and needed a perfectly timed recovery tackle to deny Abraham shot on goal 15 minutes in, that resulted in the Chelsea man going off injured. But was leaden footed when ball rebounded off his legs to gift Werner Chelsea’s second. EPA

Ciaran Clark - 7: Another back in the team after injury, reads the game well and produced some well-timed challenges in the air and on the deck. Newcastle desperately need to keep him fit with so many injuries in the centre-back positions. AFP

Jamal Lewis - 6: Excellent recovery run and challenge as Werner threatened quick counter-attack in first half but caught sleeping as the German made it 2-0. AP

Jonjo Shelvey - 5: Lovely ball down left to Lewis 20 minutes in but that was about it in the first half spending most of the time chasing Chelsea shadows. Ambitious free kick from more than 25 metres out easily saved by Kepa just after break. AP

Isaac Hayden - 7: Back in his favoured midfield role after covering in defensive positions, producing his usual crunching tackles and reliable distribution. Getty

Joe Willock - 6: Enjoyed superb first game on loan from Arsenal against Southampton but found Chelsea’s midfield a whole different ball game. No hint of repeating debut goal until scuffing Saint-Maximin cross wide just after break. Good leap and header forced save out of Kepa. PA

Miguel Almiron - 5: Two goals in his last game, but offered next to nothing in terms of attacking threat until presented with difficult volley that Paraguayan could only fire wildly off target in last 10 minutes. Getty

Allan Saint-Maximin - 5: Newcastle’s talismanic attacker wasn’t allowed time or space to make any impact. Decent run and cross set-up half chance for Willock after break, but that was as good as it got for the Frenchman. AP

Dwight Gayle - 4: Back in team with top scorer Callum Wilson out injured but called on in defence to turn Azpilicueta header over in first 10 minutes. A goal-poacher who relies on service in the box but was stuck out in an unnatural wide role. Reuters

SUBS: Joelinton – (On for Gayle 64’) 4: Contributed nothing until flick through for Almiron in last 10 minutes. AP

Ryan Fraser – (On for Saint-Maximin 73’) 5: Found Willock with good early cross into box soon after coming on. Getty

Andy Carroll – (On for Willock 81’) N/A. Getty

Thomas Tuchel achieved his task for the season in three weeks. In five league games, Chelsea have gone up five places. Ninth has become fourth, a wretched season a reasonable one.

If Frank Lampard's sacking stemmed from a fear of missing out on the Champions League, Tuchel's immediate impact suggests that Chelsea can assume their usual place among the European elite again next season.

The fixture list may have offered a honeymoon period. Lampard's last five league games were against Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Fulham and Leicester. Tuchel has faced Wolves, Burnley, a dreadful Tottenham, Sheffield United and Newcastle, plus Barnsley in the FA Cup.

His next six matches – Southampton, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Everton, Leeds and Atletico – promise to be tougher.

And yet his influence is undeniable. His imprint has been on results and selection alike. Lampard departed with three clean sheets in 12 games, one against League Two Morecambe and another versus 10-man Fulham.

Tuchel has five in six; the only man to score against his Chelsea is Antonio Rudiger, with a farcical own goal at Sheffield United. That no opponent has found their net illustrates what an aberration it is.

Tuchel’s reputation as a gegenpresser has been deceptive. His has been a pragmatic start; perhaps he felt introducing a more energetic style midway through a season with the most congested fixture list was risky.

With eight goals in six games, Chelsea have not proved prolific but solidity has been prioritised and secured.

It is notable Tuchel has seen out wins against low-scoring Sheffield United and Newcastle sides with two banks of three: a trio of defensive midfielders ahead of the three centre-backs, with bringing on N’Golo Kante to shore things up already looking a signature substitution.

Tuchel’s initial preference for an Antonio Conte-esque 3-4-2-1 is telling. He has stretched back into Chelsea’s past, reviving the captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s career in the role he filled for Conte, on the right of the back three.

He has rejuvenated Maurizio Sarri’s favourite, Jorginho, even if there is the sense he may be displaced by Kante. He declared he “loved” Mateo Kovacic, arguably Chelsea’s best player last season but more of a fringe figure this year.

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FA Cup player ratings: Barnsley 0 Chelsea 1

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His wing-backs have been instrumental, his choice of them instructive. The reinvention of Callum Hudson-Odoi on the right has made him the first Chelsea manager to truly trust a talent Bayern Munich wanted.

He renaissance of Marcos Alonso on the left has been based in part because he adds height to a short side, but plays to his attacking strengths.

Tuchel’s tactical cleverness was apparent in the way Alonso and Timo Werner exchanged positions on Monday, the wing-back sometimes underlapping and the “left 10”, in the forward’s words, appearing outside him, it came ahead of a base of five more defensive players.

But the losers from the new regime have tended to be Lampard’s players; in some cases, his proteges. Only Mason Mount of those most associated with the former manager seems in Tuchel’s strongest side.

Ben Chilwell, the signing Lampard pushed for most, and Reece James, promoted ahead of Azpilicueta by him, have been benched. Kurt Zouma, in fine form earlier this season, is the last-choice centre-back.

Christian Pulisic, Chelsea’s best player in summer and a player whose Dortmund debut came under Tuchel, and Hakim Ziyech, another Lampard recruit, look back-ups now.

Because the switch to 3-4-2-1 leaves five players competing for two berths as inside forwards. That Kai Havertz is injured means it is unsure where he figures in the pecking order. But Werner, the other expensive German Tuchel was surely hired to revitalise, is not seen as a lone striker.

He has proved a story of Tuchel's reign – winning penalties, missing chances, working hard – until finally his 1,000-minute Premier League drought ended on Monday. The personal importance means it may yet prove the most significant goal under Tuchel.