In talkSPORT’s live commentary game on Sunday afternoon, Batshuayi staked his claim for more first-team action with two first-half goals at Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian is still on the peripheral in the Blues squad, but his brace against the Magpies took his tally for the season up to ten goals – not a bad return considering 14 of his 25 appearances have come off the substitutes’ bench, many in the dying embers.

Batshuayi was twice denied a hat-trick by Magpies goalkeeper Karl Darlow after the break, before another fine free-kick from Spanish full-back Marcos Alonso wrapped up a straightforward win for Chelsea.

Newcastle battled well and started the game impressively, with Chelsea struggling to hold on to the ball in the first half.

The hosts might have gifted a goal to Newcastle, but Dwight Gayle spurned the chance after Davide Zappacosta’s poor pass was intercepted, and Willy Caballero then saved a Jonjo Shelvey volley.

Chelsea could only muster half-chances, until a brilliant move saw Batshuayi break the deadlock on 31 minutes.

A lot of credit must go to Pedro, whose fine defence-splitting pass found Hazard on the right wing and led to the goal. Hazard held up the ball and laid it up for the on-rushing Alonso, who had the presence of mind to play the ball on for Batshuayi to tuck in unmarked at the back post.

There may have been a suspicion of offside, but without the Video Assistant Referee, there was no review and the goal stood.

Batshuayi, enjoyed further good fortune moments later as he made it 2-0 in the stroke of half-time – Pedro and Hazard combined to find the striker, whose shot ballooned up off the leg of Jamaal Lascelles, over the goalkeeper and into the net.

To their credit, Newcastle didn’t give up and they were frustrated by stand-in goalkeeper Caballero, who saved again from Shelvey and Chancel Mbemba in quick succession.

But Chelsea sealed the win in the 72nd minute when Alonso struck a brilliant 25-yard free-kick for his seventh goal of the season.

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Source: Talksport

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The Reds, without Roberto Firmino and injured duo Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah in their starting line-up, led through Sadio Mane’s second-half strike.

Johann Gudmundsson equalised with a late header, but Estonian centre-back Klavan scored in injury time.

Leicester beat Huddersfield 3-0, with Riyad Mahrez scoring and then assisting Islam Slimani, who was making only his second Premier League start of the season, because Jamie Vardy was out injured. Marc Albrighton scored their late third.

Newcastle beat fellow strugglers Stoke City 1-0, with Ayoze Perez scoring from close range.

Brighton and Bournemouth played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the first Premier League game of 2018 – in a match with 42 shots, the record for a top-flight game this season. The Cherries twice came from behind, with Callum Wilson scoring a scrappy 79th-minute equaliser.

In the 17:30 GMT game, which is on BBC Radio 5 live, Everton are at home to Manchester United.

Premier League match reports

Brighton 2-2 Bournemouth

Burnley 1-2 Liverpool

Leicester 3-0 Huddersfield

Stoke 0-1 Newcastle

Source:BBC

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On his return to the starting XI, Hazard fired the Blues level with an angled strike after Dwight Gayle’s poked effort had given the Magpies a surprise lead.

Striker Alvaro Morata made it 2-1 to the hosts when he headed in from close range following Victor Moses’ driven cross.

Hazard made sure of Chelsea’s 10th league win of the season with a penalty after Matt Ritchie fouled Moses in the area.

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Source: BBC

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Isaac Hayden fired the Magpies ahead from 25 yards after goalkeeper Fraser Forster was left flat-footed before Joselu was denied from making it 2-0 by the bar.

Saints conjured up a rare home goal through Gabbiadini’s shot on the turn only for Newcastle to restore their lead 87 seconds later, Ayoze Perez finding the net from an angle after Forster had spilled the Spaniard’s initial shot.

Newcastle were denied victory when Gabbiadini, starting for the first time since 9 September, scored from the penalty spot after Florian Lejeune needlessly bundled over Shane Long.

Southampton had failed to score in eight of their past nine Premier League home games – and they failed to muster a shot on target in the first half in this game.

Yet Mauricio Pellegrino was rewarded for his decision to restore Gabbiadini to the side as the Italian scored twice in 26 minutes to deny Newcastle a rare top-flight away win.

It looked like another frustrating game as Dusan Tadic, unmarked inside the six-yard area, headed tamely over the bar with the match goalless before Hayden fired the visitors ahead.

Southampton have won once in six league games but this gritty performance in front of their own fans was just what was needed after back-to-back defeats.

Forster will feel he should have done better for both goals, the England keeper having committed himself early when Hayden pulled the trigger before failing to hold Perez’s shot.

Yet Lejeune’s clumsy challenge on Long saved Forster’s blushes and gifted Saints a point which moves them up to 10th in the table.

Newcastle were on course for a second win in 15 Premier League away games when French defender Lejeune gifted the hosts a penalty.

Long was not in a goalscoring position when the foul was committed yet Benitez’s side were made to pay.

Whereas the battling 1-1 draw against Liverpool in their previous game felt like a win, this will have felt like two points lost.

Lejeune almost made amends for his error in the dying moments but substitute Steven Davis was well placed to hack his header off the line.

Benitez’s side produced a spirited display after the negative headlines of the training ground spat between Jamaal Lascelles and Mohamed Diame, which resulted in Jonjo Shelvey wearing a cast to protect a broken finger in this game.

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Source: BBC

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Manager Jurgen Klopp once again saw his side dominate possession and create chances but once again saw them fail to capitalise as former Reds boss Rafael Benitez guided the hosts to a draw.

Philippe Coutinho gave Liverpool the lead with a superb 25-yard curler but more poor defending allowed Joselu to equalise with a fortunate finish before the break.

Liverpool were dominant in the second half but could not find a way through as Benitez continued his record of never losing against Liverpool during his managerial career.

Klopp’s side have now won one of their last seven games in all competitions and are seventh in the Premier League.

Same old story for Klopp

For Liverpool, who have now drawn three of their opening seven games, the recent problems are well documented – they cannot kill teams off.

In six games in September, Klopp’s side had 126 shots on goal, but only 34 were on target and they only won once in all competitions.

It was a similar story at St James’ Park, with Mohamed Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daniel Sturridge all wasting clear openings before Coutinho’s superb goal.

A miscued clearance fell at the feet of the Brazilian 30 yards out, he cut between two midfielders before stepping around Jonjo Shelvey and bending a wonderful shot into the top corner.

But the lead lasted just seven minutes as the team’s soft underbelly was again exposed, Shelvey playing a fine through-ball under no pressure to send Joselu through a huge gap in the Reds defence.

Joel Matip made a recovery challenge but could only clear the ball into the shins of Joselu and send it past Simon Mignolet.

Whether Klopp bemoans bad luck or poor defending, the facts are that Manchester City and Manchester United have both conceded just twice in the Premier League all season – Liverpool have now shipped 12, including nine in their last four matches.

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Source: BBC Sport

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Aaron Mooy’s perfect finish after a well-worked team move comprising 14 passes was all that separated the teams, though the Terriers’ performance deserved more than only Mooy’s 50th minute strike.

Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle remain without a win – or even a goal scored – this term, and now they must prepare for next Saturday’s clash against fellow pointless side West Ham.

Twenty-three years to the day that Huddersfield fans watched their first game in this venue against Wycombe, the John Smith’s Stadium was hosting its maiden Premier League match, with some fans having paid as little as £100 for their season card thanks to a pledge by chairman Dean Hoyle.

His name was chanted prior to kick-off as the players emerged to be greeted by a ‘Terriers’ mosaic and the sound of thousands of clappers during an electric atmosphere which continued as the hosts tried to seize control early on.

Mooy’s long-range shot provided Rob Elliot with his first test and the Newcastle keeper was grateful Tom Ince’s vicious try, which came courtesy of a mislaid Christian Atsu pass, was straight at him.

A Magpies team featuring three enforced changes soon settled to quieten the crowd, though, and they produced the half’s best chance in the 17th minute through Matt Ritchie.

Ayoze Perez laid the ball off to him on the edge of the area and the winger’s effort was heading straight for the bottom corner only for Jonas Lossl to produce a fine one-handed save to tip it around the post.

Newcastle’s only other first-half scare came when Atsu and Javier Manquillo were caught out trying to play their way out of trouble, though Steve Mounie was correctly adjudged to be offside by the time he fired at Elliot.

There were half-hearted penalty appeals at the other end when Atsu’s header hit the back of Chris Lowe’s arm, not that he knew anything about it, and the Terriers full-back was then bailed out by two fine Christopher Schindler tackles, the second of which had to be timed right on Dwight Gayle.

Following a half with few first opportunities, it took less than five minutes after the restart for Mooy to lash the hosts ahead.

The Australian rolled a pass into Kachunga in the box and claimed the one-two return around Manquillo before dispatching an unstoppable effort into the corner to leave Elliot with no chance.

Mooy had been a key figure in Huddersfield’s promotion-winning campaign last term but this was just his fifth goal for the club, with one of the previous four having come at home to Newcastle too.

Rafael Benitez’s reaction was to replace Gayle with recent recruit Joselu and the Spaniard nearly scored a carbon copy of Mooy’s effort at the other end.

The difference between their one-two was that Joselu’s shot lacked any power, making it all the easier for Lossl to divert wide.

From the resulting corner Perez had an even better opportunity but his hooked volley went over the crossbar as Newcastle’s wait for a first goal of the season went on.

Jacob Murphy, another of Benitez’s replacements, was denied by a brilliant Lowe sliding challenge as Huddersfield held firm to make it two wins from two.

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Source: Talksport

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The match was Atsu’s first since his return from the African Nations Cup in Gabon where Ghana finished fourth.

He replaced eventual match-winner Aleksandar Mitrovic after 46 minutes and after the match, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez revealed that Atsu was brought on as a precaution to save Mitrovic from being sent-off as he had been yellow-carded.

The match was Atsu’s 17th of the season (and he has scored 3 goals) since he joined the club on loan from Chelsea and he has expressed his desire to play more games so he can replicate his good form for Ghana at Newcastle.

“It is a confidence that you have. In the national team I play 10 games [in a row] and they trust me. Sometimes it is difficult to come to the club side and play and get to the rhythm of the game immediately”, he said as quoted by online portal ChronicleLive.

He went on to say: “I need to keep working hard. I play better in the national side but I hope to change that. I don’t think I am anywhere near my best [for Newcastle] yet. I can keep improving. I haven’t played one of my best games for Newcastle yet, and I am working as hard as I can to be able to do that.The fans have shown their love for me – it is up to me to pay them back on the field.”

Atsu’s contributions have helped Newcastle go to the top of the Championship on 65 points; one more than Brighton who are second.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Ghana Badminton Association has announced its plans and activities for the 2014 sporting year. The plans will be dominated by participation in international competitions in both the junior and senior categories.

Nathan Quao/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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