MICHAEL BALLACK scored an 86th-minute penalty kick to give Chelsea a 2-1 win over Manchester United that leaves the teams tied on points at the top of the Premier League.

Ballack also scored Chelsea’s opening goal Saturday before Wayne Rooney equalized and defending champion United now leads the Blues only on goal difference with two games remaining.

“If you are not an optimist you shouldn’t be in sports,” said Chelsea manager Avram Grant, who has been criticized for his dour manner and Chelsea’s unimaginative style of play. “You need to be an optimist from game to game and also during the game like we did today,” said Grant, who fielded strikers Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Andriy Shevchenko in the final stages of the game. “I am confident but we need to win these two remaining games and hope that United loses one point.”

Ballack headed home a well-flighted cross from Didier Drogba in the final minute of the first half to give Chelsea the halftime lead its play deserved against a United side that rarely threatened at the other end.

But a rare blunder by the usually solid Ricardo Carvalho handed United an equalizer in the 57th when his back pass put Rooney in the clear. A draw would have put the Red Devils in sight of their second title in a row.

Chelsea demanded a penalty when Michael Carrick charged down a cross from Michael Essien. Referee Alan Wiley at first appeared to indicate it was not handball but his linesman flagged that it was.

United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and defenders Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand ran toward the official to argue the decision but the referee pointed to the spot and Ballack stayed calm before powering the kick past Van der Sar for a winner that Chelsea deserved.

Tempers flared when Ferdinand and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele almost came to blows during the five minutes of injury time. Some of the United players who didn’t play in the game — Patrice Evra, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes — were also involved in a post-game pushing and shoving incident with Chelsea security staff.

With the second leg of a Champions League semifinal against Barcelona looming Tuesday, United manager Alex Ferguson left top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo off the starting lineup and put him on the bench alongside Carlos Tevez.

(SD-Agencies)