Chelsea vs. Newcastle United: Steve Holland and John Carver Post-Match Reaction

Chelsea moved two points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday, beating Newcastle United 2-0 to capitalise on Manchester City's 1-1 draw against Everton.

It was a lacklustre performance from the Blues at times and manager Jose Mourinho delegated press conference duties to assistant Steve Holland after the game. Per the club's official Twitter account, Holland admitted the west Londoners needed some words of encouragement at half-time:

Brazilian playmaker Oscar opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge just a couple of minutes before the break, setting up Diego Costa for the Blues' second not long into the second period.

However, it was defensive star Kurt Zouma who drew Holland's praise, stepping in for the rested Gary Cahill to offer a solid resistance in central defence:

Petr Cech was another contributing factor in the clean-sheet display, utilised once more as Thibaut Courtois took up his spot on the sidelines.

Assistant Holland was swift to note the veteran's quality as a useful reserve option, stating no need to risk further injury to their Belgian No. 1 when Cech sits as such a reliable alternative:

Chelsea looked lethargic at times, but will be content with bouncing back to victory, having gone without a win in their previous two Premier League outings.

One negative to come from the result, however, was news of Cesar Azpilicueta's groin injury, although Holland noted it may not restrict the Spaniard:

Speaking to Sky Sports Audio after the fixture, John Carver admitted his side had a lapse in concentration when conceding their first on Saturday, paying the price for "switching off" against a top team:

While noting Chelsea's worth, the Newcastle caretaker wasn't devoid of praise for side, though, particularly pointing out the first-half as one of encouragement:

"

Absolutely, we had two or three great chances. Moussa Sissoko hit the post and Cabella, who was outstanding all day, brought off a great save from the goalkeeper Cech.

So we did take the game to them—it was important we give them the respect they deserve, they're one of the best sides in the Barclays Premiership and they will go on and win it, I think, they've got enough quality and they've got a top, top coach. 

"

Carver has now lost his two matches in charge of the Magpies and the club are yet to claim a win in 2015, while Chelsea have breathing space at the summit once more.

The result is all that matters, but Mourinho will be seeking more confident displays heading forward if his team are to make their title pursuit any easier.