Chelsea were pushed hard but still made sure they snapped a two-game winless run in the Premier League with a victory over Newcastle United.
The Blues picked up a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, with the goals as ever coming from Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer eitherside of half-time.
Palmer wowed pundits with his performance against Newcastle, with his incredible pass putting the wheels in motion for the opening goal.
Despite a lapse in concentration that saw them concede to reported Chelsea transfer target Alexander Isak, it was a strong display in defence from a backline that had not been seen together yet in a competitive game.
Thiago Silva loves Chelsea win over Newcastle
Reece James played in a newlook left-back role, with Marc Cucurella remaining on the bench despite his excellent start to the season.
Enzo Maresca seemed to believe this James experiment worked, and his brilliant performance would back that claim up.
Thiago Silva was another figure who seemed to be impressed with what he saw from the Blues, with him taking to social media to share just that.
The Brazilian commented on Chelsea’s official Instagram page a string of heart-eyed emojis, as many of his former teammates celebrated what turned out to be a big win.
How have Chelsea done without Silva at the back?
Chelsea’s efforts to replace Silva have seen them end up with a defensive duo of Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill for the majority of games in the Premier League this season.
Maresca has publicly declared how big a fan he is of Fofana, who Chelsea fans are still getting used to seeing on a regular basis after his many injury problems since joining the club.
Colwill meanwhile has been a shining light of the season, again producing a number of big moments at the back yesterday.
There is even an argument for the England international to be named captain of the club after the manager’s recent comments that he had expected more from a leadership point of view from James.
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