Confidence floods back as Chelsea admit losing streak hit players hard

CHELSEA coach Paul Clement insists the club’s players are not superhuman and that it is perfectly normal for their miserable recent run to have taken its toll.

The Blues go into tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League game against Aston Villa having finally stopped the rot that had set in during November and December.

Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Bolton was the faltering champions’ first for seven league games, ending their worst sequence for 11 years.

And, despite the ugly manner of the victory, the three points have gone some way to restoring the confidence of Carlo Ancelotti’s players, some of whom would have never previously experienced such a slump in form.

“The atmosphere is certainly better after that game,” Clement said.

“The recent run has been a challenge for everyone and confidence has been affected.

“The players put a lot of effort in and did what they needed to do and that’s given everyone a lift.

“Hopefully, we can look forward now but it has certainly been a difficult November and December, and we don’t want to go back to that.”

The Blues will drop back out of the top four today if Tottenham beat Fulham, which would leave the champions looking at recording back-to-back wins for the first time in two months when Villa visit Stamford Bridge.

Despite their alarming slump, which has seen them blow a five-point lead to lie four behind table-topping Manchester United having played a game more, Chelsea are not out of the title race.

Overhauling all three of United, Manchester City and Arsenal above them is no small order and would arguably be a greater achievement for Ancelotti than last season’s historic double.

Striker Nicolas Anelka insists the Blues still have the right mentality to be champions.

“I want to win — that’s it,” he added.

“We have to stay strong and see what happens. It doesn’t affect the way we approach matches because we have to win games and try to drop the minimum points to achieve our aims — we always want to win.

“We’ve dropped points and sometimes it’s like that — football is not always beautiful,” he said.

“You have to be strong in your head to pass these hard times, and this is the way you live in football.

“It’s the same outside football; life is not always beautiful; but you have to be strong and get past these moments.”

Ancelotti has a defensive quandary ahead of tomorrow’s game, with Branislav Ivanovic suspended. The Italian must decide whether to play Paulo Ferreira as a makeshift centre-half or put his faith in teenager Jeffrey Bruma.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier insists star wing duo Ashley Young and Stewart Downing will not be sold during the January transfer window.

Young and Downing have been linked with moves to Manchester United and Tottenham respectively but, when asked if either could be sold this month, Houllier said: “No. No way. Categorically no.”

Young and striker Emile Heskey will return at Stamford Bridge after recovering from knocks but right-back Luke Young is still sidelined with his groin and hip problems.