If Chelsea throw away their Premier League lead from here it will be worse than Newcastle United’s infamous capitulation of 1996.

The Magpies were 12 points clear in January only to be overtaken by Manchester United in March after losing five matches in eight.

It remains a record for the biggest points margin surrendered by a Premier League leader. And prompted then-Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan’s legendary “We’re still in this” and “I’d love it if we beat them” rant directed at then-Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson, which still ranks as one of football’s greatest outbursts.

Although Chelsea only got up to a maximum 10 points clear in February and March — and were never up to a record-blown 12 point cushion like Newcastle — many will view it as unthinkable that the seasoned Londoners could bottle it in quite the same fashion as the unfancied northerners.

The Toon were punching well above their weight back then having never contended for the Premier League title before or since, whereas Chelsea have proven league winning players who should know how to close out a season.

Also, unlike Keegan, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte seems cool enough to handle Ferguson-esque mind games should they arise — unlikely as it seems — from his Tottenham adversary Mauricio Pochettino.

Of course, it’s not going to happen anyway, Chelsea’s seven point lead may have slipped to four with six games to go following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat away to Manchester United, and the loss may have proven that they are not as good as they think, but the calibre of their opponent in the run-in compared to fellow contenders Tottenham is laughable.

If you could pick your last six opponents, it would read, with the exception of maybe Everton away, much like Chelsea’s current fixtures list.

With recent defeats at home to Crystal Palace and away to Man United aside, you can’t see them dropping four points over a last six that reads; Southampton at home, Everton away, Middlesbrough at home, West Brom away, and Watford and Sunderland at home. Especially when Spurs have; Palace away, Arsenal at home, West Ham away, Man United at home and Hull City away.

The killer for Spurs really is that trio of Arsenal and West Ham, which are both local derbies, followed by Man United.

For Chelsea to mess up from here truly would put them in the same realm as Newcastle.

There have been other examples of Premier League chokers, Arsenal were five points clear in March 2008 before finishing third behind Man United and Chelsea, and Liverpool were five points clear in May 2014 before finishing second to Manchester City after Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip at home to Chelsea.

But nothing compares to Newcastle’s collapse of 96 ... so far.