Newspaper reports
The Guardian, David Hytner: “The nightmare is by no means over for Carlo Ancelotti but at least the cold sweats might not have gripped him tonight. Having said that his faltering Chelsea team needed to “wake up”, in light of their dismal recent run, he watched them sleepwalk their way through the first half of what was a must-win game.”
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “After the big chill, a welcome thaw spread through the Bridge shortly after 9pm on Wednesday. After all the frustrations, the six Premier League games without a win, and too many misplaced balls here, Chelsea finally escaped the icy grip of a midwinter crisis of confidence. … Florent Malouda supplied the moment of nirvana on the hour, stroking home Drogba’s cross to howls of “offside” from Bolton, and suddenly Carlo Ancelotti’s team resembled more the Chelsea of old.”
Official Chelsea FC Website: “A Florent Malouda goal an hour into the match gave Chelsea a first win in seven league matches. A close-range finish from a squared ball by Didier Drogba did the damage as claims for offside against both players were dismissed. It was the Frenchman’s first goal in two months and it prevented Bolton from overtaking us in the league table. Instead we return to the top four.”
The goal
Carlo’s reaction
“It was important for us to win. It was an important game. We worked very hard for 90 minutes and we showed character.
“We didn’t play so well in the first half, it was difficult, there were a lot of interruptions but the second half was better and after our goal the game was different.
“We came back on the counter-attack; we defended well and with confidence. We needed to fight.
“We lost some passes in the first half but we were a little bit afraid. There was a lot of pressure on this game. The second half was better.
“Now we have to wait until the next game. The win was a big step, it will take a weight from our shoulders, but I am not sure if everything will be okay, it will depend on our next performance.”
See the Arsenal match report for comment thread.
