Liverpool blown away on a Blue breeze

IF this really was Carlo Ancelotti’s first serious test as manager of Chelsea, the Italian passed it, and comfortably so.

A routine victory over his supposed title rivals sent Chelsea two points clear at the top of the Premier League and emphasised why Ancelotti will not go the same way as Luiz Felipé Scolari.

This was the fixture last season that proved the catalyst for Scolari’s painful demise, Rafael Benitez’s side ending Chelsea’s long unbeaten run at home in the league and beginning to unpick ‘the Blue Brazil’.

But any suggestion that Ancelotti could follow a similarly slippery path after his side lost at Wigan and then struggled to beat Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League was quickly dismissed.

Second-half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda were enough to account for an unadventurous Liverpool side, send Chelsea two points clear at the top of the Premier League and put a very different complexion on Ancelotti’s so-called crisis.

“It was important for us to win after losing at Wigan,” confirmed Drogba, who set up both goals and comfortably outshone Fernando Torres in what had been billed as a battle to be named the Premier League’s top striker.

“It’s good to go into the international break with three points and top of the table.”

That should be enough to keep the knives away from Ancelotti’s back for the foreseeable future, even in these days of knee-jerk reactions at Stamford Bridge, and the Italian appeared relaxed afterwards.

“It’s the same the world over,” he shrugged. “It was not pressure. We lost one game and played bad in the second game but we worked hard to find a solution and after this match we’ve resolved our problem.

“It was not a big problem. But it was an important win and I am happy.”

The result leaves serious question marks over Liverpool’s title credentials, however, because having already lost to Tottenham and Aston Villa, Benitez’s side are now fifth in the table and rapidly slipping off the pace.

What started as a litmus test for Ancelotti could ultimately have greater consequences for his opposite number.

Liverpool fans delight in taunting their Chelsea counterparts with claims the west London club “ain’t got no history” but in truth that one is starting to wear thin and is in danger of sounding desperate.

Not all history has to be ancient and while Chelsea cannot reminisce about five European Cup victories they have now enjoyed 15 years competing at the top end of the Premier League since Glenn Hoddle first took them to an FA Cup final in 1994.

That is why Chelsea’s meetings with Liverpool have gone from an attractive sideshow in the title race to one of the biggest matches in the football calendar.

And if Chelsea don’t have history, this fixture certainly does – and plenty of it.

The two teams have played an astonishing 30 times since the start of the 2001-2 season, a tally that includes two Champions League semi-finals, a Champions League quarter-final, an FA Cup semi-final and a Carling Cup final.

Small wonder Frank Lampard recently described matches against Liverpool as Chelsea’s toughest of the season, even above fixtures against Manchester United, which often have a greater bearing on the title race.

That, perhaps, is what made this tussle such a big test for Ancelotti and he passed it if not with flying colours then at least with some comfort.

Benitez’s overly-defensive system which has frustrated successive Chelsea managers in the past made for a game lacking in fluency and in truth heralded their demise.

An Albert Riera free-kick, spectacularly turned around the post in the 45th minute, and a half-hearted penalty claim were rare moments of attacking pressure from the visitors in a first half that failed to live up to expectations and when the crucial opening goal came after 60 minutes it went to Chelsea.

Lampard, hitherto unusually quiet, produced an excellent tackle on Javier Mascherano to pickpocket the Argentine international in midfield and set up a sweeping move that flowed through Essien and Deco before reaching Drogba on the left wing.

The Ivory Coast striker’s perfect low cross was scooped home at the far post by Anelka and Chelsea, at last, had set the game alight.

Liverpool’s response, at least, was positive.

With Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun brought on to add to their attacking options they set about the task of earning a point with gusto and Torres stabbed a shot just wide after 80 minutes.

But Chelsea completed a crucial victory when Drogba showed great persistence and skill to bulldoze his way into the area and cross low for substitute Malouda to make 2-0 in injury time. There was still time for Benayoun to miss a sitter before the final whistle but by that time Ancelotti and his team were already celebrating a victory that gives their season fresh impetus.

Chelsea may not have made history yet but when it comes to this year’s title race they have certainly made their point.

REFEREE: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) 7: Made few errors, used his yellow card sparingly and was rarely troubled in a surprisingly subdued match that was, for once, short on controversy.

MATCH RATING: *** It wasn’t one of the classics – and not a patch on last season’s 4-4 draw in the Champions League – but two well-worked goals from Chelsea in the second-half brought the match to life.