Thiago Silva has apologised after his costly error in Chelsea's 4-1 loss at Newcastle.
Mauricio Pochettino's side collapsed during the second half to hand the Magpies a big win at St James' Park on Saturday. Chelsea made a decent start to the Premier League game after Raheem Sterling's superb free kick cancelled out Alexander Isak's opener.
Yet Newcastle took control of the contest with two goals in two minutes from Jamaal Lascelles and Joelinton. Brazilian defender Silva, who turns 40 next year, was at fault for Joelinton's goal, as he fluffed a back pass to give his compatriot the easiest of chances.
Chelsea's misery was compounded late on when captain Reece James was sent off for a second yellow card and Anthony Gordon, who assisted Lascelles' header, found the net. The result leaves Chelsea 10th in the table, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.
"I'm devastated," wrote Silva on X. "It wasn't a good day for us. I would like to apologise to everyone for the defeat, especially to my team-mates who believe in me and support me every day. I take full responsibility. Let's gather strength and come back stronger."
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Chelsea fans won't be too critical of Silva considering his stellar career at Stamford Bridge. The veteran centre-back was signed from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in August 2020 - just a month before his 36th birthday.
Not much was expected of Silva considering his age, but he proved to be a superb signing. He's helped them win the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup. Silva is Chelsea's reigning Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.
Silva's error allowed Joelinton to score (Getty Images)What do you make of Chelsea's season so far? Let us know in the comments below!
Yet Silva can't afford to make too many mistakes if Chelsea are to be successful this season. They've struggled on the pitch since Roman Abramovich sold the club to Todd Boehly's consortium in May 2022, despite spending more than £1billion on new players.
Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all failed to get a tune out of the Blues during that time, with Pochettino taking on the job in July. He's won just seven of his 16 games in charge and it's hard to see Chelsea challenging for honours anytime soon.
Pochettino described Saturday's loss as Chelsea "worst game of the season". He added: "We cannot complain about the result, we did not read the game from the beginning. We did not play how we should play, we showed a lack of intensity and energy.
"Even after we scored, at 1-1, it was a chance for us to force them to play deep, but it was so easy for Newcastle. That is why I am so upset with the performance. It is a young team, they need this type of situation to realise... (we'll) train early tomorrow, no time off."
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