Chelsea saw their quest for invincibility ended this afternoon as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Two goals from Papiss Cisse put the hosts in control of the game, and Chelsea couldn't find a way back in the closing stages despite Steven Taylor being shown a red card and Didier Drogba pulling a goal back.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed during an absorbing 90 minutes of football.

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NEWCASTLE

Goal

Rob Elliot: Didn't have much to do in the first half and was forced off at the break having picked up an injury when taking a goal kick. (6/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Struggled to keep tabs on Hazard at times, but was able to relieve the pressure by turning defence into attack on a few occasions. (7/10)

Steven Taylor: Made a number of important contributions to keep Chelsea at bay, but then put his side under huge pressure with a second yellow card just under 10 minutes from time. (6/10)

Fabricio Coloccini: Superb performance from the returning skipper. Dealt with Costa as well as anyone has managed and led the spirited protection of their goal when under siege from Chelsea in the closing stages. (8/10)

Paul Dummett: Returned to his favoured role at left-back and struggled initially to deal with Willian down his flank. Grew into the game, though, and put in a sturdy performance overall. (7/10)

Midfield

Jack Colback: Didn't give the likes of Fabregas a moment of peace on the ball. Was always buzzing around in the middle of the park and had a big impact at both ends of the field. (8/10)

Cheick Tiote: Helped to protect the defence against the Chelsea barrage late on and ensured that the likes of Fabregas, Oscar and Hazard could not pull the strings in midfield. (7/10)

Remy Cabella: Was taken off early in the second half following a fairly uninspiring and ineffective display. (6/10)

Moussa Sissoko: Returned from suspension and showed what Newcastle were missing against Burnley. Full of running and a great outlet for a counter-attack. Set up Cisse's second, but probably should have scored himself. (8/10)

Sammy Ameobi: Got the assist for the opening goal with a dangerous ball across the six-yard box. Didn't have too much of an impact otherwise, but put a good shift in for the team. (7/10)

Attack

Ayoze Perez: Tremendous work rate throughout. Led the line admirably when up front on his own and never shirked his defensive duties when Cisse came on. (8/10)

Substitutes

Jak Alnwick: Couldn't have asked for a tougher introduction to Premier League football, but performed very well on his debut. The young keeper came on at half time and made a number of important punches as well as a couple of decent stops. Was caught stranded for the Chelsea goal, but there were more positives than negatives for the third-choice shot-stopper. (7/10)

Papiss Cisse: The match-winner. Came on less than 10 minutes into the second half and got both of his side's goals with poacher's finishes. Surely earned a start next weekend. (8/10)

Mike Williamson: Replaced Ameobi following Taylor's red card and helped his side cling on to the lead under intense late pressure. (7/10)

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CHELSEA

Goal

Thibaut Courtois: Could do nothing about either goal. Made a good stop to deny Colback in the first half with the scores still level. (6/10)

Defence

Branislav Ivanovic: Both goals came down his side, but in general he was as solid as ever defensively. Also threatened going forward on a few occasions, but some decent deliveries into the box had no takers. (6/10)

John Terry: Caught out by the pace of Newcastle's counter-attack on a couple of occasions. Was not to blame for either goal, though. (6/10)

Gary Cahill: Should have cut out the cross that led to the opening goal, and was also undone in the build-up to the second. A rare off day for the centre-back. (5/10)

Cesar Azpilicueta: As usual, not much got past him at one end, but could have offered a little more in attack. (6/10)

Midfield

John Obi Mikel: Could not supply the same level of quality in the position as Matic has done consistently this season. Held his own in midfield, but ultimately came out second best. (6/10)

Cesc Fabregas: Was given no time to weave his magic by Colback and Tiote. Played a few probing balls into the box, but was far short of his usual influence. (6/10)

Willian: Started the game as one of his side's brightest players and came close to breaking the deadlock twice in the first half. Faded as the match wore on, though. (6/10)

Oscar: Came close with a bicycle kick but otherwise failed to influence the game. Was kept quiet by Tiote and Colback before being hauled off. (5/10)

Eden Hazard: Was a real threat on the break in the opening 30 minutes, but Janmaat soon got to grips with him and his influence on the match waned. (6/10)

Attack

Diego Costa: One of his toughest and quietest games yet. Came off second best in the battle with Coloccini and showed none of the form that we know he can produce. (5/10)

Substitutes

Andre Schurrle: Forced a save from Alnwick with an effort from range, but otherwise failed to really have an impact during his 30-minute cameo. (6/10)

Filipe Luis: Came on as a more attacking full-back compared to Azpilicueta and stung the palms of the keeper with a long-range effort. (6/10)

Didier Drogba: Really changed the game. Got his name on the scoresheet and caused Newcastle all sorts of problems inside the box, but couldn't come up with the vital equaliser. (7/10)