MUCH has been made of the positive difference in Chelsea under Luiz Felipe Scolari, but one unwanted change is their home form. For four years, Stamford Bridge was the impregnable fortress around which so much success was constructed. Under Scolari they have dropped nine points at home already, which contrasts sharply with their 100% record away.

Liverpool drew yesterday at home to Fulham, so failed to take advantage of the slip, and Manchester United were held goallesss at Villa in the evening kick-off, so United remain eight points behind the leaders with a game in hand.

Scolari’s team made all the running here, which might have been expected, but ran into opponents in an obdurate mood and intent on protecting their goal at all costs.

Newcastle failed to create a single goal opportunity but, like all good managers, Joe Kinnear, who has agreed to a one-month contract extension, is building from the back, and his charges defended with spirit, organisation and resolution. In eight matches since he replaced Kevin Keegan at St James’s Park, at the end of September, the pride of Tyneside have won two, drawn four and lost two, which is mid-table form.

Had Chelsea summoned anything like their usual economy, in terms of passing and chances, they would have won this match comfortably, but their final ball was not good enough, their attacking play lacked subtlety and, for all their possession, they failed to extend Shay Given as they should have done, although the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper did make a couple of notable saves.

Newcastle were preoccupied with defence, and their centre-halves, Fabricio Coloccini and Sebastien Bassong, were outstanding, with the contribution of Habib Beye, the right-back, similarly impressive. Michael Owen operated as an auxiliary midfielder but with a relegation-threatened team, Kinnear can hardly have been expected to take on the league leaders at their own expansive game.

From his point of view, the end amply justified the means. “I lost two important players to injury on Friday, and I’m not apologising, not at all,” he said. “We planned to force Chelsea to play in front of us, and we did that very well. That was probably our best performance away from home, and it felt like a victory in the dressing room afterwards.”

The interim manager revealed that Newcastle’s absentee owner, Mike Ashley, was in negotiation with an American consortium, but that they had failed to match his valuation of the club, and that consequently Ashley had asked him on Friday to continue in temporary control for another month, starting next weekend.

“The deal was to be in charge until the club was sold and nothing has changed since then. I’ve been informed I’m here for another month. That should take me up to the transfer window, at the start of January, and I’ll be looking to do some business then.” He is planning to unload surplus squad members, who were not involved yesterday, to raise funds for two defensive reinforcements.

“If I can twist his arm and get a few quid out of him, I can buy a couple of players,” added Kinnear.

Scolari bemoaned “two points lost” but, magnanimously, had nothing but praise for the opposition. “I told the coach ‘congratulations’. Newcastle played very well,” he said. “They played for a draw with ten men behind the ball, and got it, so their approach was 100% right. In that respect they are better than us today, because they got what they wanted.

“We had 24 shots at goal, they had none, and we had 70 per cent of the possession, but couldn’t score.”

The story of the match can be quickly told. Chelsea made all the chances, the most promising of which, early in the second half, saw Given parry Florent Malouda’s shot into the path of Joe Cole, who prodded the ball home from an offside position. Otherwise, their best opening was the product of a Malouda cross that Frank Lampard met with a firm header, seven yards out, only for Given to make a flying, one-handed save. It was his best stop of the day.

Scolari accepted that his team needed to improve in their Champions League match away to Bordeaux on Wednesday, and especially at home to Arsenal next Sunday. He said: “We will be working on it all week in training, and I may change the positions of one or two players.”

Newcastle will be looking to maintain their progress in a northeast scrap at Middlesbrough next Saturday, when Taylor and Barton will again be absent.

CHELSEA: Cech 6, A Cole 6, J Terry 6, Ivanovic 6, Lampard 6, J Cole 6 (Ballack 82min), Mikel 6, Malouda 6 (Kalou 71min), Bosingwa 6, Deco 6, Anelka 6.

NEWCASTLE: Given 7, Coloccini 7, Enrique 6, Guthrie 6, Martins 5 (Ameobi 60mins), Owen 6, Duff 5, Bassong 7, Gutierrez 6 (N’Zogbia 76min), Beye 7, Butt 6.