NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 CHELSEA 2

The title race will go to the final day after a merited win. Two second-half goals - a Michael Ballack header and a Florent Malouda shot - did the job, the Blues also striking woodwork through John Terry.

Newcastle's run of seven games without defeat was brought to an end as we confirmed our position as the best away side in the top flight. It was a win on the road that rarely looked in doubt.

Avram Grant dipped into his squad and made five changes from the side that began the Champions League semi-final triumph.

Both full-backs were changed, Michael Essien moving back into midfield and Paulo Ferreira coming in on the right; Wayne Bridge starting on the left.

John Mikel Obi took the place of Claude Makelele and up front, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda were selected as the players to flank Didier Drogba. Frank Lampard was on the bench.

Before there was an attempt at goal by either side, there were a few moments of concern when Essien hurt his ankle in a challenge with Barton who also felt pain. Happily, after treatment on the sidelines, 'The Bison' was able to continue.

With five minutes on the clock, Newcastle had the first sight of goal, Butt winning a personal contest with Mikel and lobbing over Terry to Owen. With an instinctive stab at the ball, the England man cleared the bar by some distance.

Owen was continuing in his role of recent weeks, playing centrally behind a front two of Viduka and Martins. Any hopes the Geordie side had of putting the visitors under sustained pressure early on were rather spoilt by Chelsea's ability to pitch camp in the Newcastle half - the odd burst forward from Martins apart.

The next challenge was to find a way to play into the Newcastle area rather than all around it.

There was a chance for Anelka after 26 minutes after he had shown good skills to work himself the space but he went for placement rather than power and the shot was easily blocked.

Two minutes later, Newcastle finally broke their shackles and when Martins beat Carvalho to the ball to shoot from close range, Cech did well to beat the ball out but only to Owen. The follow-up shot was precise and accurate but an inspired Terry had retreated to the perfect place on the goal-line to hack clear.

The ball was played upfield and reached Taylor who was caught later by Drogba; referee Bennett lecturing but not booking the Chelsea man.

Terry was not so fortunate on 33 minutes when Owen played the ball past him and ran into his England colleague 10 yards inside the Chelsea half. The skipper was booked.

Chelsea's best chance of the first-half came a minute later when quick passing put Ballack clear on the left but off-balance, he scooped his left-foot shot wide.

Anelka fired past the other post from the edge of the area on 37 minutes.

Newcastle improved in the five minutes before the break and three minutes before the whistle worked a chance for Beye at the far-post but not for the first time, the Senegalese right-back was extravagantly inaccurate with his effort.

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan made a change at half-time, Alan Smith on for Mark Viduka. There was no alteration in their shape.

Chelsea continued at the start of the second-half with similar superior possession to much of the first. It took a timely tackle from Taylor to cut out a Ballack shot and from the corner that followed Chelsea hit woodwork. Terry attacked Malouda's ball in and thundered a header onto the bar.

With Chelsea's continued dominance and plenty of black and white stripes massed behind the ball, it was beginning to feel like a home game. But would the breakthrough come?

Faye became Newcastle's first booking for a foul wide on the right edge of the area. From Drogba's ball clipped in, Ballack once again demonstrated his aerial prowess, nodding down beyond Harper's right hand. It was the German's fourth goal in the last month.

On 65 minutes Frank Lampard was introduced for Nicolas Anelka but as Chelsea reorganised, Newcastle won a free-kick on the edge of the area. Gérémi's attempt was charged illegally by Malouda who was booked. The re-take was placed into the wall.

Two ex-Chelsea players were switched on 71 minutes, Duff replacing Gérémi but Chelsea continued to live dangerously, Martins' shot deflected just wide and then Owen at full-stretch only just failing to turn a chip into the box on-target.

Chelsea, playing 4-2-3-1 with Drogba in front of Ballack, Lampard and Malouda, began to reassert ourselves on the game and Newcastle left-back José Enrique was the next shown a yellow as the game entered its final quarter-of-an-hour.

It was period not without a set-back. Carvalho was forced from the field, struggling with his back. Alex was the natural replacement.

However any remaining tension was taken out the game when a precision passing move forward between Essien, Ballack and Lampard was finished by Malouda slotting low and first time past Harper. There were 82 minutes on the clock when the French international found the net for the first time since Schalke at home in October.

There was one final chance for Essien, his shot blocked by Harper but by then the result was beyond doubt.

Chelsea had won at Newcastle for the first time in the league since 2001. In doing so, we had guaranteed at least second place and automatic entry to next season's Champions League.

Roll on two games that will decide the destiny of two big trophies.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho (Alex 78), Terry (c), Bridge; Essien, Mikel, Ballack; Anelka (Lampard 65), Drogba (Shevchenko 86), Malouda.
Scorers Ballack 59, Malouda 82.
Booked Terry 34, Malouda 68.

Newcastle (4-3-1-2): Harper; Beye, Taylor, Faye, José Enrique (N'Zogbia 77); Gérémi (Duff), Butt, Barton; Owen (c); Viduka (Smith h-t), Martins.
Booked Faye 59, José Enrique 75.