Eden Hazard, Chelsea Earn 3rd Straight Win with 2-1 Victory over Newcastle

Eden Hazard's penalty and a DeAndre Yedlin own goal helped Chelsea make it three wins from three in the Premier League by beating Newcastle United 2-1 at St James' Park on Sunday.

Hazard struck from the spot after a penalty was controversially awarded when Fabian Schar challenged Marcos Alonso in the box. Joselu equalised for the Magpies, but Alonso struck again when his shot flicked in off the unfortunate Yedlin for the winner.

Hazard and Mateo Kovacic Partnership Will add New Dimension to Chelsea Attack

Hazard was making his first start of the season after his exertions for Belgium at this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia. Yet it was another player making his first start who liberated Chelsea's chief attacking force.

Mateo Kovacic was selected to start the match after impressing in a cameo role during last week's 3-2 win over Arsenal. The Real Madrid loanee combined brilliantly with Hazard to add a new dimension to the Blues going forward.

Specifically, the way the two rotated positions routinely changed the shape of Chelsea's forward line:

Kovacic's willingness to move out of the middle and onto the left afforded Hazard greater freedom to roam the final third. It meant the classy No. 10 was Chelsea's biggest threat, as he took up a host of dangerous positions between the midfield and forward lines.

Hazard is always more effective when he has freedom to roam. Kovacic's versatility and understanding of space will make the Blues' most-talented attacker tougher for opponents to track.

In the process, Chelsea will become more fluid and less predictable going forward.

Jorginho Is Already Signing of the Summer

It's not too early to declare Jorginho the signing of the summer after he gave another masterful exhibition of how to take care of the ball. Chelsea paid £57 million to bring the pass-master to west London from Napoli, and he's already proving to be worth every penny.

No signing has had as big an impact in completely altering the style of his new team than the 26-year-old Italy international. Playing for Maurizio Sarri, the man who tutored him in Naples, Jorginho has turned the Blues into a more thoughtful and stylish team in possession.

Sarri's style of play demands a hub for passing, a description ideally suited to Jorginho, who showcased incredible efficiency against the Magpies:

It's impossible to overstate the scale of the change Sarri has undertaken at Chelsea. He's shifted the squad from the back-five system and cagey counter-attacking favoured by predecessor Antonio Conte to a four-man defence underpinning a ball-hogging, patient midfield.

The Blues making the switch successfully this quickly owes everything to the presence of Jorginho and his ability to control the flow of possession.

Rafa Benitez Making a Mistake Freezing out Jamaal Lascelles

Newcastle withstood Chelsea pressure brilliantly for 76 minutes, despite being without their best defender. Jamaal Lascelles was dropped after a reported training ground bust-up with manager Rafa Benitez, detailed by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail:

Benitez offered a different explanation:

However, if there is trouble between manager and player, Benitez will be making a mistake to freeze out Lascelles. The latter is the Magpies' most physically imposing centre-back, a rising star who's commanding in the air and capable on the deck.

Neither Ciaran Clark nor summer signings Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez can match Lascelles' combination of pace and power. Newcastle need the former Nottingham Forest prospect to hold the defence together, no matter what shape Benitez favours at the back.

While the Magpies were resolute for large portions of this match, the late collapse spoke of how Benitez can't risk leaving Lascelles out for long.

What's Next?

Chelsea will be fancied to move to 12 points when they host Bournemouth next week. Meanwhile, Newcastle will be in action on Wednesday when they travel to Forest in the EFL Cup.