Newcastle frustrate champions Chelsea

Chelsea missed a chance to regain top spot in the English Premier League as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.

Salomon Kalou’s seventh goal of the season cancelled out an early strike from England forward Andy Carroll to lift the defending champions back above London rivals Arsenal into second place.

Chelsea now trail leaders Manchester United by two points in an intriguing title race after their second-half dominance failed to yield a winning goal.

This result left the Blues with just one victory and four points from their last five league games.

Mid-table Newcastle deserved a point for their efforts in an open encounter at an icy St James’ Park, the match given the go-ahead despite Tyneside having been under a foot (30cm) of snow less than 24 hours before-kick.

Chelsea got off to a bad start by falling behind in the sixth minute with the first goal they’d conceded at St James’ in almost five hours of football spanning four and a half years.

Newcastle had already given Carlo Ancelotti’s side early warning when Petr Cech was forced into a smart save to keep out a header from Steven Taylor, the England Under-21 defender making his first start after 10 months out injured.

United were soon in front, however, thanks to some shoddy defending from Alex who, under little pressure, misplaced his back-pass to Cech.

The ball evaded the stranded keeper, giving Carroll the simple task of tapping the ball into an unguarded net from less than a yard.

Stung into action by Carroll’s ninth goal of the season, Chelsea took charge, and with Florent Malouda and Kalou operating down the flanks in a 4-4-2 formation, Tim Krul was forced into a great fingertip save to push an angled drive from Didier Drogba into the side-netting.

Alex almost atoned for his error just before the half-hour when he rose well to meet a Nicolas Anelka cross, only to see Jose Enrique clear his header off the line with Krul beaten.

There was another scare for Newcastle when, shortly before the interval, Cheik Tiote, back in the side after a one-game ban, appeared to bring down England full-back Ashley Cole in the box.

Referee Andre Marriner clearly thought differently, waving away strong Chelsea penalty appeals.

But the pressure eventually told when the visitors deservedly levelled through Kalou’s 45th-minute effort.

Chelsea’s Ivorian midfielder pounced on Malouda’s flick to engineer room in the area as he cut inside Sol Campbell to fire in a low effort right-footed that found the bottom corner after a deflection off Taylor.

Krul was the busier keeper after the break as Chelsea went in search of a second, the Dutch-Under-21 international doing well to keep out a stinging Drogba shot on the turn.

A neat piece of handling then saw him deal with Branislav Ivanovic’s glancing header after the defender found space following Malouda’s inswinging corner kick.

Cole then got forward to force another excellent save from Krul with a powerful angled drive, and Drogba found the net, only for his strike to be correctly ruled out for handball.

Kalou hit the side-netting after a mix-up between Krul and Campbell, while substitute Daniel Sturridge should have done better with a late chance.

Chelsea’s wastefulness could have had even greater implications but for a stunning goal-line clearance by Cole from a powerful Wayne Routledge shot after a rare mistake from Cech, who failed to claim a free-kick pumped into the box.