PA
Newcastle tipped the title race back into Manchester United's favour after they held Chelsea to a goalless draw at St James' Park.
A day after derby rivals Middlesbrough had opened the door for the reigning champions, the Magpies slammed it shut to leave United three points clear at the top.
Glenn Roeder's side were more than good value for their point after limiting the Blues to only one effort on target, and that 10 minutes from time.
However, Jose Mourinho's side may live to regret misses from Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and at the end, substitute Joe Cole, as they rallied after the break but could not extend their run of nine successive Barclays Premiership victories.
But things could have been even worse for Chelsea had goalkeeper Petr Cech not got down to block Kieron Dyer's 59th-minute shot, and the Magpies left the field to warm applause from a crowd of 52,056 after a second successive home draw against one of the top-four sides.
• Mourinho bemoans penalty decisions
Chelsea arrived on Tyneside knowing victory would take them to within a point of United a day after they were held 1-1 at Old Trafford by the Magpies' derby rivals Middlesbrough.
However, they did so knowing that was something they had not managed to achieve in the league at St James' Park in four visits.
Newcastle have had an intensely frustrating capacity this season to save their best for the Premiership's big guns, and having taken all three points from Liverpool and one apiece from United and Arsenal already, they were determined to extend that record.
For 45 minutes, they looked more than capable as Roeder's men made the double champions look distinctly ordinary and limited them to two attempts on goal, neither of which troubled goalkeeper Steve Harper.
John Terry's wayward 36th-minute header and a wild long-range striker from full-back Wayne Bridge on the stroke of half-time were as near as the Blues, who lost Michael Ballack to injury after just 18 minutes, came to calling Harper into action.
That was due in the main to a spirited display from the Magpies, for whom captain Nicky Butt was tenacious in midfield and central defender Steven Taylor little short of faultless as he marshalled Didier Drogba to such an extent that the striker started to lose his composure as the game wore on.
For their part, Newcastle created few genuine chances, but always looked the more likely scorers.
Antoine Sibierski caused problems for both Cech and full-back Paulo Ferreira with a second-minute header, while Dyer saw a shot deflected wide eight minutes later.
Obafemi Martins went close with another effort which flew behind off a Chelsea leg and then whistled a 25-yard drive past the post with the home fans sensing an opportunity to have a major say in the destination of the title.
However, Chelsea returned in determined mood and had two opportunities to take the lead within three minutes of the restart.
Lampard shot over in the 47th minute after Kalou had twisted his way past Solano and Titus Bramble to lay the ball back into his path.
Kalou caused problems again seconds later to pick out Shaun Wright-Phillips, but when he pulled the ball square for Drogba, his attempt to curl a shot into the top corner was woefully high and wide.
Mourinho replaced Wright-Phillips with Cole on 55 minutes, but the Magpies went close four minutes later.
Dyer was given the benefit of a marginal offside decision to run on to Butt's through-ball, but Cech made a vital block.
Martins headed over from Milner's corner, but the drama switched swiftly to the other end when Cole found himself in space on the left on 62 minutes.
Lampard's effort from his low cross was blocked and Kalou miskicked as he slid in, allowing Butt to tidy up.
Sibierski headed over from Milner's cross two minutes later, but it was Chelsea, aided by the arrival of substitute Andrei Shevchenko, who finished stronger.
They got their first attempt on target when Drogba flicked in a header at the near post, but Harper was equal to the task.
Martins headed over from a Milner cross and substitute Andy Carroll blasted across the face of goal in injury-time.
However, Cole might have snatched victory in the final seconds when he got a touch on Paulo Ferreira's cross, only to see his effort spin agonisingly wide of the far post.
# Mourinho bemoans penalty decisions
Frustrated Jose Mourinho claimed it was 'forbidden' for Manchester United to concede penalties or Chelsea to win them after watching his side miss the chance to close the title race gap to one point.
Chelsea were well below their best in a goalless draw with Newcastle at St James' Park which leaves them three points adrift of United, but Mourinho was annoyed that his side had not been awarded a 10th-minute penalty for handball against full-back Stephen Carr.
Mourinho, who insisted speculation over his future was 'over' after reassurances from Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, went into the match already feeling aggrieved that Sir Alex Ferguson's men had survived strong spot-kick appeals in Old Trafford clashes with Sheffield United and Middlesbrough.
'It is not possible (for) penalties (to be awarded) against Manchester United, and it is not possible (to get) penalties in favour of Chelsea,' claimed the Chelsea boss.
'If somebody punishes me because I tell the truth, it is the end of democracy, we go back to the old times.
'Nobody can punish me because I say it (the Carr handball) was a penalty. At Old Trafford, it was a penalty yesterday (when John O'Shea felled Lee Dong-Gook). It was a penalty today, so we are speaking about points, unless the goalkeeper saves the penalty.'
Mourinho admitted that Chelsea had not deserved to win against Glenn Roeder's men but reasoned that had a penalty been given against Carr it would sparked a very different performance from his side.
'Newcastle did not deserve to lose, but one view is the game we saw and another is the one we could have seen. If the score was 1-0 (to Chelsea) after 10 minutes, the game would naturally be different.
'I am suggesting nothing, I am speaking just facts. It looks like it is forbidden to give a penalty against them (United) and in our favour.
'I am not speaking about a conspiracy, I am speaking about facts. If I speak about a conspiracy, I have to prove the conspiracy, and because I do not prove it, I am punished.
'I want to be pragmatic. If one of you tells me it was not a penalty against Sheffield United, if one of you tells me it was not a penalty against Middlesbrough and if one of you tells me it was not a penalty against Newcastle, we need to go to our optician.'
Mourinho's comments came just days after Kenyon sought to end speculation over the manager's future by confirming he will remain in charge next season amid speculation that Jurgen Klinsmann had been approached to take over.
The former Porto boss welcomed Kenyon's comments after weeks of rumours about the relationship between Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich, which appeared to have thawed following Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final triumph over Blackburn.
'It was an important statement,' said Mourinho, 'and the Board cannot make a statement every day. It is over.
'They knew I wanted to stay and they told me to my face before Peter spoke to the media that they wanted me to stay.
'I am talking about people who have worked with me for over three years and we are adults, not kids. When I said I wanted to stay, I want to stay, and when they tell me they want me to stay, they want me to stay. The story is over.'
Asked if he was concerned about the Klinsmann rumours, Mourinho replied: 'A Board is a Board, they can do what they want.
'I was telling them for a long time I wanted to stay and they have the right to give their statement when they want.
'If they decided to do it not now and only at the end of the season, it was their right to do it. If they decided at the end of the season to sack me, it was their right to do it.
'But at this moment, what matters for me is they want me to stay and my decision is made.'
Mourinho's concerns are now on the pitch, where he faces a defensive crisis after Ricardo Carvalho picked up an unspecified injury in training and missed the game at St James' Park with Michael Essien, who played alongside John Terry on Tyneside, suspended for the Champions League semi-final clash with Liverpool on Wednesday night.
In addition, Michael Ballack limped out of the game after just 18 minutes after a heavy challenge from Titus Bramble and is unlikely to be fit in midweek.
In the circumstances, opposite number Glenn Roeder was the more satisfied of the two managers after seeing his side limit the visitors to a handful of chances and come close to winning it themselves through Kieron Dyer.
Roeder said: 'I was happy with the performance. The boys have taken a little bit of flak over the last month or so and I told them before the game that this was an opportunity to get some pride back and show the supporters they are prepared to show the bravery and courage you need when you are playing the double champions.
'They did that today. I do not think there was a poor performance from any of our players and it was probably a fair result.'
Meanwhile, Roeder confirmed that striker Michael Owen will not play for the reserves at Bolton on Tuesday, but is closing in on a return to action.
bought 0-1 FT, at 70' I thought I am winning, so shiok, kanasai, held to a draw.
