Chelsea beat Bolton to stay top
Carlo Ancelotti insists there is no chance Chelsea will lose their nerve as they approach the final furlong of the race for the Premier League title. His side are within touching distance of winning the league for the first time since 2006 after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Bolton left the Blues four points clear of second placed Manchester United with four games to go.
Carlo Ancelotti insists there is no chance Chelsea will lose their nerve as they approach the final furlong of the race for the Premier League title. His side are within touching distance of winning the league for the first time since 2006 after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Bolton left the Blues four points clear of second placed Manchester United with four games to go.
The leaders looked anxious at times as they laboured to kill off stubborn Bolton and Owen Coyle’s struggling team could even have snatched a shock draw if referee Lee Probert had awarded either of two strong penalty claims.
With a trip to London rivals Tottenham next and another tricky away game at Liverpool, it seems likely Chelsea will have more chances to show their resolve before champagne corks start popping in north London to celebrate.
But Ancelotti is adamant his players’ ability to grind out wins from tense encounters like the Bolton game shows they are made of the right stuff to end United's three-year reign.
“We have more possibility than Manchester United and Arsenal (to win the title) but we are not sure,” Ancelotti said.
“We have to play four tough games. On Saturday we have a derby against Tottenham.
We are ready to play and we are excited. We know we have to fight and we are ready to fight.”