Moody Blues back in the groove

CARLO ANCELOTTI described this dramatic but fortunate victory over Fulham as one of the most important results of his Chelsea tenure after his team shrugged off an alarming dip in form to re-ignite their title challenge.

The result leaves Chelsea five points clear of Manchester United at the top, a statistic which on its own would suggest everything is rosy at the Bridge.

But the way Chelsea’s confidence had slid to an unfathomable low since they beat Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates exactly a month ago was threatening to ruin their entire season, let alone their Christmas – so no wonder the Italian was relieved after Chris Smalling’s own goal sealed a high-octane comeback.