Chelsea recovered from conceding two early goals to Nick Woltemade to draw 2-2 with Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, with Joao Pedro’s equalizer coming off a rare assist from a goalkeeper.
Robert Sanchez smashed a long clearance up to Pedro, who headed the ball forward and ended up collecting it himself after Fabian Schar slipped. Pedro slotted a finish underneath Newcastle goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to earn Chelsea a point in the 66th minute.
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Newcastle's Nick Woltemade, right, scores the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro, left, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Newcastle's Nick Woltemade celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Woltemade put Chelsea 2-0 up by scoring from close range in the fourth minute and then glancing home a cross from Anthony Gordon in the 20th.
For the tall Germany striker, it marked a huge contrast in emotions to last weekend — when he scored an own-goal to consign Newcastle to a derby loss at fierce rival Sunderland.
“I wanted to give a good performance today and I think I did,” Woltemade said. "I just want to say thank you to the fans for still being good with me.”
Reece James launched Chelsea’s fightback by curling a free kick in off the post in the 49th.
Fourth-place Chelsea trimmed its gap to Arsenal to seven points ahead of the leader’s match at Everton later Saturday, but has won only one of its last five games in the league.
Newcastle, one of England's representatives in the Champions League this season, is languishing in midtable after one win in its last four games — and that was against next-to-last Burnley.
There are eight games in total on Saturday, including second-place Manchester City — which is two points behind Arsenal — hosting West Ham and Liverpool visiting Tottenham.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Newcastle's Nick Woltemade, right, scores the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Joao Pedro, left, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Newcastle's Nick Woltemade celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and FC Chelsea in Newcastle, England, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — Franjo Von Allmen edged his friend Marco Odermatt for a World Cup downhill victory Saturday in the latest 1-2 finish between the Swiss rivals, whose duels shape as the peak of men’s skiing in the Milan Cortina Olympics season.
Von Allmen finished 0.30 seconds ahead of Odermatt as both stars were aggressive and daring on the bumpy and tiring Saslong course.
It was the sixth time they combined to finish 1-2 in the 10 World Cup downhills since the Val Gardena race one year ago, including Thursday when Odermatt won a shortened race.
“It’s really cool that I can share the podium again with Marco. Sometimes me, sometimes him" that wins, Von Allmen said.
No other racer came close to them Saturday when Odermatt had the fastest speed close to 127 kph (79 mph). Only third-place Florian Schieder of Italy was also within a second of Von Allmen, 0.98 back on the 3.45-kilometer (2.14-mile) course.
The 24-year-old Von Allmen has three career wins in World Cup downhills, and Odermatt was runner-up each time.
“It was fair that he can win today and I’m also happy with second place,” said Odermatt, who also was second Friday in a super-G.
Each also won a gold medal in downhill at the two-yearly world championships held since the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and their rivalry could be a main event on Feb. 7 at the next Winter Games.
Men’s Alpine skiing at the Olympics is raced at Bormio where another Swiss racer, Alexis Monney, won the World Cup downhill last December with Von Allmen second.
Monney and Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the United States crashed out Saturday on the rolling bumps and jumps, while James Crawford had a spectacular save landing a jump.
Von Allmen and Odermatt both were on the limit at times on a third straight race day, that saw former World Cup overall champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde skip the start. Kilde is returning after almost two years out recovering from a scary crash at Wengen in January 2024.
Odermatt extended his big lead in the season-long overall World Cup standings chasing a fifth straight title, and Von Allmen closed the gap in the downhill points race.
There was no repeat of the stunning result Friday in super-G on a hill where more sunshine on the course after 12:30 p.m. gives late starters a fighting chance.
Super-G winner Jan Zabystran — the first Czech man to win a race in 60 seasons of World Cup racing, denying Odermatt victory — had the No. 36 bib Saturday and was almost three seconds back.
Still, unheralded Swiss racer Alessio Miggiano took fifth place with the No. 43 bib, just 0.06 off the podium.
While Von Allmen has no race Sunday, Odermatt goes to nearby Alta Badia for one of the classic men's giant slaloms. He leads the World Cup standings after winning two of four giant slaloms so far.
AP Olympics coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Italy's Florian Schieder celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
