Ancelotti admits Chelsea face test of character

AFTER surrendering the Premier League summit for the first time in more than seven months, Carlo Ancelotti admits Chelsea face a huge test of their character to reassert themselves at the head of affairs.

With Manchester United having trashed Blackburn 7-1, yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle leaves the reigning champions two points behind their biggest rivals. Salomon Kalou’s 45th-minute strike cancelled out Andy Carroll’s early opener on Tyneside, but despite dominating much of the second half, Chelsea were unable to claim a winner.

Ancelotti’s side are struggling at the moment, having won just one of their last five league games, and the Italian admits the next few weeks will be a huge test of their mettle. To add insult to injury, their flight home was cancelled due to blizzard conditions in the north-east, leaving them with a seven-hour coach trip back to the capital.