Ancelotti hails crucial win

Ancelotti: Hailed crucial win

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Carlo Ancelotti admitted his delight in beating Chelsea's "best opponent" at Stamford Bridge after a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.

The Blues fought out a narrow win in front of a sell-out crowd, with John Terry heading home the only goal in a gritty encounter.

United players made appeals for an infringement by Didier Drogba as the ball crossed the line but referee Martin Atkinson saw no reason to rule it out.

Heaping praise on a strong performance, Ancelotti said the win was crucial for Chelsea's title hopes.

Dubbing United as Chelsea's "best opponent" in the Premier League, he admitted to a few nervous moments throughout the match.

Difficult

"I think it was a difficult match for both teams," he told Sky Sports.

"There was no space in midfield, it was difficult to create an opportunity to score.

"It was a match with very good balance, a strong match and we did what we had to do.

"We beat a very good team, our best opponent."

Despite the win, Ancelotti is not getting carried away and said Chelsea must maintain their current standard if they are to keep United, amongst others, at bay.

"We are now five points clear but we know very well that the season is long," he said.

"We have to maintain this atmosphere and we hope to maintain this gap."