31/01/2001  Chelsea 3 Newcastle 1
 
Slowly but surely Claudio Ranieri's message is getting through and Europe is 
looming back into Chelsea's sights as their home form propels them up the 
Premiership table.

Against Newcastle the Blues registered their ninth victory in the 10 league 
games held at Stamford Bridge since the Italian took charge.

And with Gianfranco Zola, who equalised Christian Bassedas' first goal for 
Newcastle, weaving his magic yet again and Dennis Wise back to his imperious 
best, they were worthy winners.

Indeed, when Gus Poyet and substitute Jesper Gronkjaer put them ahead in yet 
another stirring second-half display, and news filtered through that Leicester 
had lost at Southampton, Chelsea were back into the top six.

It is a position they have not occupied since a brief one-match stay at the 
end of October, when Ranieri was still struggling to make a difference or even 
get his message understood.

Chelsea's away form still needs to improve, with their FA Cup win at 
Gillingham not yet matched by a success away in the league.

But Liverpool are now within sight and Arsenal are just seven points ahead 
after playing one match more. What talk of crisis now?

There was the depressing blow of seeing Graeme Le Saux limp off injured yet 
again but in Zola, even at 34, Chelsea still have one of the most captivating 
players in the Premiership.

The Italian's influence was matched for the first half at least by Kieron Dyer 
on his return from injury but the England international's input waned from then 
on, just like his team's.

Indeed, Newcastle have now not won any of their past 25 games in London, a 
record which stretches back as far as November 1997, and their latest failure 
came even after taking a 22nd-minute lead.

Frank Leboeuf may have thought he had played his last game in a Chelsea shirt 
only for his proposed move to Monaco to fall through and he kept his place in 
the side with Marcel Desailly and John Terry both missing.

However, the Frenchman was given a torrid time by Dyer in the first half as he 
struggled to cope with the pacy England international's turn of pace.

Chelsea may have had the better of the few early half-chances, with a flowing 
move involving Le Saux and a back-heel by Poyet ending in Zola curling his shot 
wide.

However, it was Newcastle who actually went ahead and it was Dyer who proved 
their inspiration.

The attacking midfielder, playing just in behind Shola Ameobi, tricked his way 
to the byline with a shimmy that completely foxed Leboeuf.

His deep cross just managed to elude Ameobi's jump to drop straight at the 
feet of Bassedas, who had time to place his shot inside the far post.

Chelsea responded with a surging run down the left flank by Le Saux, who 
crossed for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to place his header just wide of the 
upright.

But that was the end of the England international's involvement as he was 
forced to limp off after just 30 minutes, shaking his head in frustration as his 
injury curse appeared to have struck again.

Le Saux, who had earlier been enraged at a tackle by Warren Barton, was 
replaced by winger Gronkjaer and that necessitated a change in formation that 
was early even for Ranieri.

Dyer was still proving a menace as he burst past Albert Ferrer and Leboeuf, 
but there was little that Newcastle could do to prevent Chelsea's equaliser.

Celestine Babayaro fed Zola and the Italian patiently delayed his shot before 
unleashing an unstoppable 20-yard effort into the far corner eight minutes 
before the break.

Leboeuf wasted a free header after the interval after Wise had swung a 
quickly-taken free-kick into his path, but Chelsea were comfortably on top.

In 62 minutes Hasselbaink delivered a 
superb low cross into Poyet's path and the midfielder met the ball on the 
half-volley to sweep his shot past Given.

Gronkjaer responded by firing just wide and, with their midfield dominance 
established, the Dutchman put them further ahead with 11 mint.

When Newcastle failed to clear a corner and the ball ricocheted off Melchiot 
to Gronkjaer, he made  mistake with a powerful left-foot volley.

That was comfortably enough to secure victory and Chelsea's sights are now set 
on that elusive first away league win of the season at Leicester this weekend.