Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea highlights and report: Frank Lampard's side briefly top Premier League table after easy win

They led early when Federico Fernandez turned Mason Mount's cross into his own net, under pressure from Ben Chilwell at the back post.

The visitors then missed a host of chances to make the game safe, but eventually did so just after the hour when a brilliant run from Timo Werner was finished off by Tammy Abraham.

Chelsea's margin of victory delivered a winning tip for Sporting Life followers who took Tom Carnduff's advice to back the Blues on the -1 handicap at 11/8.

The result also delivered Frank Lampard's side, much-maligned for their terrible defensive record last term, an eighth clean sheets in nine in all competitions.

Werner in particular stood out for Chelsea, shrugging off his midweek international embarrassment to put in a scintillating performance.

Four days after featuring in Germany’s humiliating 6-0 Nations League defeat to Spain, the £48m striker led his club to a fifth straight win in all competitions.

Sean Longstaff’s stunning 30-yard drive, which rattled the woodwork late on, proved the only real positive for Steve Bruce’s struggling team who simply could not match their opponents.

Lampard could have been forgiven for thinking the international break came at the wrong time for his side, who had won four straight games and scored 14 goals in the process prior to the interruption.

Unsurprisingly he kept changes to a minimum, merely bringing in Antonio Rudiger in place of Thiago Silva, who was recovering from a gruelling trip to South America.

Bruce, however, faced a mini attacking crisis with top scorer Callum Wilson failing a late fitness test and playmaker Miguel Almiron on the bench after a belated arrival back from international duty with Paraguay.

While the manner of Chelsea's opener was unfortunate for Fernandez, who turned in a low cross by Mount and failed to convince the referee of interference by Chilwell, it was also inevitable.

Abraham was inches from connecting with a Werner cross and extending his side’s lead in the 15th minute, then Werner himself was equally close to meeting a low cross from the busy Reece James on the right.

Abraham missed another good chance before Newcastle belatedly rallied in the final stages of the first half, Allan Saint-Maximin causing trouble in the visitors’ box and hitting a deflected effort high off target.

The half-time loss of captain Jamaal Lascelles to injury hurt Newcastle, and a mistake by his replacement Fabian Schar teed up another chance for Werner, who was put through one-on-one with Darlow but inexplicably sought to square the ball to Ziyech, and Newcastle cleared.

As Chelsea’s missed chances began to mount, the hosts began to scent an unlikely opportunity, with Isaac Hayden getting in a dangerous position before being hauled back for handball, and Joelinton curling an effort narrowly wide.

Chelsea responded by doubling their lead in the 65th minute after a scintillating surge by Werner, who burst through the Newcastle back-line before unselfishly squaring to Abraham who slotted home.

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