Chelsea was held to a 0-0 draw at Newcastle on Sunday, missing a chance to close the gap on Premier League leader Manchester United.
Joe Cole had Chelsea's best chance in injury time when he flicked a cross from Paulo Ferreira wide.
Chelsea, bidding for a third straight Premier League title, had hoped to capitalize on United's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday. With four rounds remaining, Chelsea has 79 points -- three behind United.
PHOTO: EPA
"If you ask if Chelsea deserved to win this game, I don't think so," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said.
"Newcastle were fresher and were dangerous on the counter attack," he said.
Chelsea hosts United on May 9 in a match which could determine the title.
"We are in a position to fight for the Premiership," Mourinho said. "One win is not a lot."
Chelsea had several chances at St. James' Park but failed to get a single shot on target.
In the 36th, captain John Terry sent a glancing header wide from Frank Lampard's free kick and Lampard shot high over the bar in the 47th after being set up by Salomon Kalou.
The introduction of Andriy Shevchenko in the 75th couldn't force a goal and Newcastle looked more likely to score for most of the match.
Antoine Sibierski came close with a looping header in the second minute. Obafemi Martins watched as his shot deflected wide in the 16th minute.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech produced a good save at close range in the 59th to deny Kieron Dyer from Nick Butt's deep pass.
Chelsea lost Michael Ballack in 19th when he was substituted after struggling to recover from Titus Bramble's challenge.
Chelsea had two penalty claims dismissed by referee Mark Halsey.
As the title race enters its final phase, Mourinho has accused referees of favoring United. A late penalty wasn't awarded on Saturday when John O'Shea brought down Lee Dong-Gook, ensuring the Red Devils got the draw.
"One rule is not to allow penalties against Man United and another says none in favor of Chelsea," Mourinho said. "You are speaking about big decisions which affect points."
Chelsea would be level on points with United if the penalties had been awarded and converted.
"I have the right to speak," Mourinho said. "I think nobody can punish me because I speak the truth and I am not saying the referees are not honest. "
Also on Sunday, Portsmouth edged closer to a UEFA Cup berth with a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa.
The result ensured Portsmouth goalkeeper David James kept his 142nd shutout, beating David Seaman's previous Premier League mark.
Seaman retired in 2004 after playing for Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League.
"It's been a constant question for the last few weeks, people picking up on silly goals that have gone in, but I'm delighted," James said.
James was kept busy against his former club, producing an impressive save in the sixth minute to stop a strike from Craig Gardner and blocking a fierce shot from Gabriel Agbonlahor in the 64th.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but