Chelsea's wayward finishing was again on show as their miserable season finished with a 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle, whose travelling supporters celebrated their fourth-placed finish at a sun-drenched Stamford Bridge.

The visitors, fresh from confirming a return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years earlier this week, came flying out of the blocks and exposed a vulnerable Chelsea defence just nine minutes in, when an unmarked Anthony Gordon converted his first goal for the club from close range.

A Kieran Trippier own goal (27) gave the home fans something to celebrate, but, despite a series of off-target efforts in the second half and a glorious chance for Christian Pulisic in the final seconds, Chelsea could not find a way to sign off a terrible year with a win.

The draw means Chelsea finish the season with their lowest-ever Premier League points total of 44, with just 38 goals in 38 games and down in 12th place. Frank Lampard's interim tenure ends with just one win from 11 games. "Standards collectively have dropped," he said afterwards, when asked about the challenge facing Mauricio Pochettino, who has signed a contract to become the Blues' next boss.

It could have been worse as Lewis Miley almost had a fairytale first appearance for Newcastle. The Gateshead-born 17-year-old - their youngest-ever Premier League appearance maker - stepped off the bench and clipped a shot against the top of the bar. He got a huge reception from the Newcastle fans, who celebrated long after the final whistle their season to remember.

How Chelsea and Newcastle signed off with a draw

Chelsea had shipped four goals at Old Trafford on Thursday and again their defence was opened up repeatedly in the first half here, with Kepa Arrizabalaga having to save from Alexander Isak with just two minutes on the clock, before Gordon capitalised on some non-existent marking for the opener.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Trevoh Chalobah stood off Allan Saint-Maximin and failed to close down Elliot Anderson, whose low cross found Gordon completely free to turn in the simplest of finishes.

Newcastle could have struck again soon after, with a Miguel Almiron shot saved and Isak firing off target before the visitors were caught out themselves and needed Trippier to block a Thiago Silva header and Anderson to twice get in the way of Noni Madueke efforts.

That Chelsea response paid off just before the half-hour when Enzo Fernandez's quick free-kick caught Newcastle sleeping and put Raheem Sterling through into the right channel. His low drive across goal was met by Trippier but his clearance came back off his own arm and went in.

The home side did not officially register a shot on target until the 43rd minute, by which time Almiron had passed up two more good openings, sending one shot wide and another at Kepa, with his record of one goal in his last 11 showing in his finishing.

However, Chelsea had Newcastle scrambling again on the stroke of half-time, with Matt Targett forced to clear Sterling's shot off the goal-line after stand-in keeper Martin Dubravka quickly reacted to prevent Sven Botman scoring another own goal.

Lampard moved to address Chelsea's defensive issues at half-time, replacing Chalobah with Wesley Fofana, and the home side spent the majority of the second period in the visitors' half. But the poor finishing which has dogged their campaign was plain to see.

Madueke, Sterling, Lewis Hall and sub Joao Felix all failed to capitalise on good positions - although the best two moments came deep in stoppage time, with Pulisic firing straight at Dubravka when Sterling teed him up, before Felix headed over with virtually the last phase of play.

There had been a VAR check for handball against Dan Burn earlier in the half, with his arm deemed to not be in an unnatural position when it deflected Sterling's shot wide, but with Miley hitting the bar, the visitors might equally feel they should have taken the maximum points.

But even without the win, the Newcastle supporters' celebrations were long and loud - and testament to a remarkable campaign under Eddie Howe.

Lampard: Standards have dropped at Chelsea

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard when asked about Mauricio Pochettino:

"I don't want to get caught on the appointment until it comes. I'm a big fan of Pochettino as a manager, I think he's a very good manager. But it's not about which individual it might be it's about getting the right high level of manager. Pochettino's history tells you he works at clubs of this sort of level and then letting him get to work with the players he creates a solid identity in a team that can win more games. Those things aren't always overnight things, so we have to be careful with expectations a little bit.

"There's a lot of work to be done. That's my synopsis after six weeks, the basics that I keep talking about - standards are so relevant to this club at the minute. Standards collectively have dropped - I can be honest about that as it's my last game and I might not see some of them that much anyway! Standards as a collective for a club like Chelsea have to be at the maximum or you won't be physically competitive enough, or you won't be able to play at a high level, high speed the Premier League demands.

"If you're not together in the dressing room and vocal in the dressing room, and driving each other and competitive because I want your place and you want mine. Every top team has to have that. At the minute, when I came in very quickly I could see that wasn't there enough. Of course a very good manager can help that but everyone has to take responsibility."

Howe: My message to the players is: thank you

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe:

"It was hot, we should have just been ahead in the first half but Chelsea came into it and I was pleased to get a draw in the end. We're disappointed with the second half performance but I don't want to criticise the players for what they've given me this season - the message is thank you, but next season is going to be even harder."

On transfer plans: "We had discussions last night [with the owners], they took place. We know where we stand. The budget? When you're sat in my shoes it's never as big as you'd want it to be! Without Champions League football it would have been difficult for us to do much, but that's given us a lift.

"The most important people at the club are the players we already have. It's not just the transfer fees, the wages. That makes it hard to attract the very best players on the market.

"We go into a lot of competitions next year, so we need the depth. Certainly with three games in a week we're going to be stretched.

"The players we currently have need to be fit and ready to go at start of next season. We start from zero. And if we can add one or two in the transfer market that would be good news."

Chelsea season verdict: Thank goodness that's over!

Sky Sports' Joe Shread:

It's hard to look back on Chelsea's season as anything other than a total disaster.

After taking over the club a year ago, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali oversaw a transfer spend of more than £600m, sacked two head coaches and have seen their team finish in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Despite spending more money on new players than any club in history over the past two transfer windows, Chelsea's performances have regressed dramatically. Not only have they tumbled down the table, but they were brushed aside by Real Madrid in the Champions League and failed to win a game in either the FA Cup or Carabao Cup.

Chelsea lifted two trophies last season but never came close to silverware this time around, with their season essentially over after they were knocked out of Europe in mid-April.

In truth, Chelsea have barely resembled a functioning team since a run of three wins under Graham Potter at the start of March, with Frank Lampard unable to inspire any kind of turnaround since returning to the club.

Instead, Lampard has openly questioned his players' effort levels in both training and matches as they have gone through the motions, counting down the days until a season that nobody saw coming finally ends.

The impending arrival of Mauricio Pochettino - and the promised clear-out of the bloated and underperforming squad that he will inherit - provides hope for the future, but lessons must be learned from this chaotic and dramatic season.

Newcastle season verdict: A sleeping giant awakes

Sky Sports' Peter Smith:

"Newcastle are back - and sooner than anyone would have expected. After Eddie Howe rescued them from relegation last season improvement was expected. A first cup final in 24 years and a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2003 was beyond most supporters' wildest dreams.

"Despite the vast wealth of their ownership group, Newcastle haven't just splashed the cash to get to this point. Recruitment has been measured and sensible. The real transformation has come in the way Howe has coached improvement throughout this team - both for individual players and their collective style.

"Their excellent defensive record in the first half of the season was evidence of hours of work on the training ground. Their shift to a more attacking intent in the past few months demonstrates their adaptability. It all adds up to a level of performance across the season which rightly earned Newcastle a place back among the elite.

"Anyone who saw the celebrations at St James' Park in recent weeks, when the top-four place was achieved will know that Howe's other big success this year is to unite this club. In the stands, in the dugout and out on the pitch, there is belief, confidence and ambition. That has been missing at Newcastle for a long time. But this is a club going places."

How the season played out

Opta stats: Chelsea make most changes but post PL record-low points total

Newcastle have gone unbeaten against Chelsea (W1 D1) in a single Premier League campaign for the first time since 2010-11 (D2), while they're unbeaten in London throughout a top-flight league season for the first time since 1996-97 (W4 D3).

Chelsea have finished the season with their lowest points tally (44) since 1987-88 when they were relegated to the second tier (42), while it's the Blues lowest league finish (12th) since 1993-94 (14th).

Newcastle scored their 100th Premier League goal under Eddie Howe, in his 65th match in charge, only under Kevin Keegan have the Magpies scored 100 goals in the competition in fewer matches (47), netting the 100th in a 4-2 victory against today's opponents Chelsea in September 1994.

Newcastle's Kieran Trippier scored just his second own goal on his 219th appearance in top-flight football (Burnley 38, Tottenham 69, Atletico Madrid 68, Newcastle 44), with both such goals coming against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (also for Spurs in February 2019).

At 17 years and 27 days old, Lewis Miley became the youngest player ever to appear for Newcastle in the Premier League.

Chelsea made 139 changes to their starting XIs between Premier League matches this season; there are only three instances of a team making more line-up changes in a single season in the competition - Manchester City in 2019-20 (144), and Manchester United in 2013-14 (144) and 2008-09 (140).

When does the 2023/24 Premier League season start?

The Premier League season will kick-off on August 12 and conclude nine months later on May 19, 2024.

The start is one week later than the 2022/23 launch as the schedule returns to normal following the Covid-19 pandemic and the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which provided disruption during the previous three seasons.

However, the fixture list provides for a return of the mid-season player break which will take place between January 13-20.

Fixtures for the new Premier League season will be revealed at 9am on Thursday June 15 and you can follow the announcements on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms.

Teams

Chelsea Kepa, Azpilicueta (c), Chalobah (W, Fofana 46), Silva, Hall, Loftus-Cheek (Chukwuemeka 60), Enzo, Gallagher (Kovacic 70, Madueke (Pulisic 88), Havertz (Felix 59), Sterling
Subs Not Used Mendy, Koulibaly, Mudryk, Ziyech
Booked
Goals Trippier 27 (og)

Newcastle United Dubravka, Trippier (c), Schar, Botman, Targett (Burn 75), Guimaraes, Anderson (Miley 76), Saint-Maximin (Wilson 69), Almiron, Gordon (Murphy 69), Isak (Lewis 88)
Subs Not Used Gillespie, Karius, Dummett, Asby
Booked
Goals Gordon 9

Attendance 40,130

Referee Jarred Gillett

VAR Peter Bankes