NEWCASTLE UTD 0 CHELSEA 0
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Solano, Bramble, Taylor, Carr, Milner, Butt, Dyer, Emre, Sibierski (Carroll 78), Martins.
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, N'Zogbia, Ramage, Babayaro.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Essien, Terry, Bridge, Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole 55), Makelele (Shevchenko 76), Lampard, Ballack (Mikel 18), Drogba, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Boulahrouz.
Att: 52,056
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.
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.
NEWCASTLE UTD 0 CHELSEA 1 (Carling Cup)
NEWCASTLE: Given, Solano, Taylor, Ramage, Huntington, Milner (Sibierski 86), Butt, Parker, Emre, Dyer, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Srnicek, Luque, Rossi, Edgar.
CHELSEA: Hilario, Ferreira, Carvalho, Boulahrouz, Bridge, Kalou, Makelele (Lampard 46), Essien, Robben, Shevchenko (Drogba 73), Mikel (Ballack 66).
Subs Not Used: Hedman, Ashley Cole.
Att: 37,406
Chelsea marched into the Carling Cup semi-finals as Didier Drogba once again shattered Newcastle's dreams.
Drogba - the man whose double for Marseille ended the Magpies' UEFA Cup hopes in the last four under Sir Bobby Robson - came off the bench to win a tight encounter with a superb 78th-minute strike.
His 17th goal of the season came a week after his late strike at Stamford Bridge had settled the Barclays Premiership encounter between the two sides.
It was little more than Jose Mourinho's men deserved, although Obafemi Martins was within inches of putting the home side in front, when his 27th-minute shot came back off the crossbar with keeper Henrique Hilario beaten.
Andriy Shevchenko later hit a post for the Blues, but Drogba ensured an end to their run of three games on Tyneside without a win to leave his side in the running for the season's first trophy.
Chelsea arrived on Tyneside as speculation mounted that a takeover bid for their hosts could materialise soon and, after another eventful weekend in the life of Mourinho, with bookmakers offering odds on him criticising a Magpies player for diving.
The Portuguese had admitted during the build-up that he would rest some of his key men and Newcastle must have been pleased when they saw the names of Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Drogba only among the substitutes.
But where Glenn Roeder was forced to play returning winger Nolberto Solano at right-back, teenager central defender Paul Huntington on the left and Turkish midfielder Emre as an auxiliary striker, Mourinho's side was still packed with expensive talent.
It was little surprise that they took the early initiative as the hugely impressive Michael Essien and Mikel John Obi took control in central midfield with former Chelsea star Scott Parker and Nicky Butt struggling to come to terms with their pace and movement.
However, for all the pressure imposed by the visitors, it was Newcastle who carved out the two clearest opportunities of the opening 45 minutes within seconds of each other.
Roeder's men had created little of any note until the 27th minute when they took the direct approach to go within inches of taking the lead.
Shay Given's hurried clearance under pressure was superbly controlled by Solano, who in turn fed the ball into the path of Martins.
The Nigerian took a quick look at the target before blasting an unstoppable shot past the stranded Hilario from 25 yards.
But after collecting five goals in his last four games, Martins' luck deserted him as the ball came back off the underside of the crossbar, bounced on the line and was hastily turned behind by Ricardo Carvalho.
From the resulting corner, Butt blasted James Milner's cross towards goal, but Hilario punched clear.
However, so fine are the margins in tight games that the woodwork spared the Magpies in injury time when Essien played Shevchenko in down the right and his shot beat Given, but clipped the far post and ran to safety.
Lampard appeared after the break as a replacement for Claude Makelele, although he passed up the chance to make an immediate impact when he thumped a long range 47th-minute drive well wide.
Steven Taylor had to get in a vital block seconds later after Arjen Robben had worked his way into the box and shot left-footed, but as they had done before half-time, Roeder's men gradually scrapped their way into the game again.
Given had to get down well to keep out Lampard's 59th-minute snapshot after good work by Essien and Robben, but Hilario sprinted from his line seconds later to block Kieron Dyer's effort after he had been played in by Emre.
Ballack arrived as a 66th-minute replacement for Mikel as Drogba warmed up on the sidelines, and the striker duly arrived as a replacement for Shevchenko seven minutes later.
But in the meantime, Lampard had dragged another shot wide and Martins had forced a save from Hilario, although from an offside position.
However, for the second time in a week, Drogba made the decisive intervention when, after Butt had been penalised for a foul on Robben - the home fans were furious at referee Chris Foy's decision, but it was the correct one - he worked a short free-kick move with Ballack to blast a curling shot past Given despite the keeper getting a hand to it.
Newcastle looked a beaten side as they attempted to drag themselves back into the game, and Ballack might have sealed the win with an 86th-minute free-kick which dropped just wide.
Lampard saw a long-range effort hit the post with Given in no-man's land deep into injury time, but the job had already been done.