Goals from Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda gave Chelsea a 2-0 win at Newcastle United on Monday that took them level on points with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League with one game each remaining.
Ballack, who scored both goals in a key 2-1 win over United on April 26 to open up the title race, glanced in a header after an hour and Malouda made it safe late on. The result sets up a grandstand finish next Sunday - 10 days before Chelsea and Manchester United meet in the Champions League final in Moscow.
United, 4-1 home winners over West Ham United on Saturday, and Chelsea both have 84 points but United have a goal difference advantage of 17. They visit Wigan Athletic next week and will retain the title if they at least match Chelsea's result against Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.
It was by no means plain sailing for Chelsea on Monday at a ground where they had not won in the league since 2001. Newcastle went into the game in great form having taken 14 points from their last six games and looked the more enterprising team in a tight first half.
Michael Owen, with six goals in his last seven club games, twice went close to continuing his hot streak in the first half. The striker lifted a volley over the bar after six minutes and then had a powerful low shot cleared off the line by John Terry after keeper Petr Cech had saved at the feet of Mark Viduka.
Chelsea, desperate to avoid defeat, looked short of invention throughout the half but took control after the break, with skipper Terry smacking a header against the bar after 53 minutes as they camped in the home side's half.
The breakthrough came when Didier Drogba chipped in a free kick from the right and Ballack, who built his reputation in Germany as a regular scorer of important, late goals, rose six metres out to calmly direct his header beyond keeper Steve Harper.
Chelsea then sat back and suffered some nervous moments as Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins and Owen both went close. But the tension eased after 82 minutes when some slick passing ended with substitute Frank Lampard slipping a through-ball to Malouda, who slotted home calmly.
"We were a bit slow at times in the first half. We got a rollicking at halftime and we needed to pick it up to keep the pressure on Manchester United -- and I thought we did a great professional job today," Terry told Sky Sports. Looking ahead to next week's games, he added:
"Wigan are on a great run, they came to the Bridge and put on a great performance and I think they will do the Premiership justice. "They are safe now, hopefully they are going to go for it. We've still got a tough game against Bolton but if we pick up three points we've got a very good chance."