Newcastle United U21s player ratings v Chelsea: 'Faultless' Sven Botman as 8/10 'looks ready' for senior football

Newcastle United under-21s beat Chelsea 3-2 at Whitley Park as Sven Botman marked his return from an ACL injury.

Parkinson opened the scoring early on when the Blues failed to clear Jay Turner-Cooke’s in-swinging corner. The United No.9 then added his second not long after, winning his penalty before converting it past goalkeeper Max Merrick.

Turner-Cooke’s free-kick delivery was headed home by Charlie McArthur in 70th minute for a 3-1 lead before Ato Ampah pulled one back eight minutes later. Donnell McNeilly made it 3-2 in stoppage time but the young Magpies held on.

Botman made his first appearance in nine months, stepping up his comeback from an ACL injury. He lined up in the same starting XI as Lewis Miley.

Coincidentally, the 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Manchester City on March 16 was the last time both players started a senior match for United.

Among the spectators were head coach Eddie Howe and first-team players such as Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, Sean Longstaff, Lewis Hall and Jamaal Lascelles, who is recovering from an ACL injury himself.

The visit of Chelsea was the under-21s’ final game of 2024. Diarmuid O'Carroll, who was appointed U21s lead coach in September, has lost just one of his six Premier League 2 matches in charge.

The victory tonight takes O’Carroll’s side up to fifth in the table in the Premier League 2 table above Manchester United.

Here are our Newcastle United under-21s player ratings:

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