Carlo Ancelotti concedes Chelsea have lost composure

Carlo Ancelotti believes Manchester United are "well placed" to win the title following Chelsea's recent slip-ups. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Carlo Ancelotti conceded tonight that his Chelsea team had lost confidence and composure after their second demoralising result in a week. Six days after going out of the Champions League they could only draw 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers and their manager admitted they were no longer favourites for the Premier League title.

Didier Drogba gave Chelsea a sixth‑minute lead with his 28th goal of the season but they threw away a winning position when El Hadji Diouf equalised in the second half. Ancelotti later accepted that Manchester United were now "strongly placed" for what would be their fourth championship in a row. "For us it is less of a probability," he said.

In all competitions Chelsea have won five and lost four of their last 11 games and Ancelotti believes the rot set in when they were beaten 4-2 at home by Manchester City on 27 February. "That result was unbelievable and since that day we have been in difficulty," he said. "The confidence is not there at the moment and winning is the only solution, starting at Portsmouth on Wednesday. It is vital that we win that one.

"It is more difficult for us to win the title now. It is not impossible but to do it we need to play better. Collectively we need to work together to go forward. I don't know how many points we need but it is possible that we will have to win every game."

Chelsea and their manager were encouraged by the fact that United still had to play at Ewood Park, on 11 April. Ancelotti said: "It will be difficult here for them, too. Blackburn at home are very strong. They have lost here only twice and you have to fight them for everything. Every team finds it difficult here."

After Portsmouth on Wednesday Chelsea play Aston Villa at home and Manchester United away in what the midfielder Frank Lampard described tonight as "make or break" fixtures.

Ancelotti was asked if his team had been suffering a hangover after elimination from the Champions League by Internazionale. "I'm not sure about that but I don't think so," he said. "In the first half we played well, scored a good goal and had other chances, which we should have taken. In the second half it was more difficult for us to play on the floor because Blackburn won a lot of the second balls and when that happened we lost our composure.

"By the time we got it back it was too late. Manchester United are now top of the league and we have to run more and do better and leave this behind us as soon as possible."

Sam Allardyce, the Blackburn manager, believes Chelsea could still pull off a league and FA Cup double. "We've put a dent in their chances but they are still capable of doing it," he said.

source guardian.co.uk