Newcastle United 2 Chelsea 0
Nowhere does the pendulum swing more violently or with such disregard to context. Joy to despair, dismay to elation, a relentless cycle of glorious inconsistency that somehow grinds down the soul while inflating the heart. Newcastle United can be a difficult club for supporters to cherish, but just as bonds are frayed to transparency, something happens that makes it impossible not to adore them.
At lunchtime on Saturday, St James’ Park was a sullen venue, leaden from the early kick-off, sopping and silent. Their loss away to Sunderland had not brought a manning of the barricades, but it hung above