Statement Matches There are ‘must win’ matches, there are ‘can’t lose matches’, there are ‘massive’ matches and then there are ‘statement’ matches. At Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Chelsea made a statement that the will be heard long and loud around the English Premier League.

Do you remember this time last season when the Blues were riding the crest of the wave? The football was glowing, the goals were flowing and they seemed unbeatable. Then they hit a speed bump in the form of Liverpool. The Reds waltzed into the Bridge and ended the Londoners magnificent unbeaten home run. Revenge was sweet as that Merseyside speed bump was not just driven over, it was completely flattened with a display of power, hunger and swagger that I’ve not seen from a Chelsea team since the Jose Mourinho era. What a difference a year makes - and that difference is Carlo Ancelotti!

To manage a club like Chelsea you need to be a big manager - a manager that inspires - a manager that know how to win - a manager who you can look his players in the eye and say ‘I’ve been there and I’ve got the medals to prove it.’ Ancelotti is all that and more.

If you examine what the Italian has achieved in his four months at the club since taking over from Guus Hiddink, you’d be tempted to say ‘he’s changed nothing’ - and that my friends is the genius at the heart of this story. How many times have you seen new coaches move to a stable club and change everything to satisfy their own egos? Ancelotti correctly realized that this was a squad that had rediscovered its passion for football towards the end of last season. What he needed to do was to keep this fire stoked. Contrast that to the arrival last season of Luis Filipe Scolari. The Brazilian was insistent that for Chelsea to move beyond Mourinho, they had play fantasy football. What ‘Big Phil’ failed to recognize is that fantasy football may win one-off matches but it doesn’t win league titles, a mistake I guarantee that Ancelotti will never make, emotionally or tactically.

I’ve always admired Ancelotti along with his X’s & O’s and other than the Istanbul miracle his record in big matches is second to none and lets not forget that Chelsea were coming into this match on the back of two poor performances. What he correctly figured out was that Liverpool would come to Stamford Bridge intent on not losing the match as opposed to trying to win it. With this knowledge transmitted to his players there was only going to be one victor. All you had to do was look at the difference in body language between the two sets of players and that was even before the Blues took a deserved lead.

Ashley Cole looks like a different player and is my early candidate for player-of-the-season - credit Ancelotti. Michael Ballack has the enthusiasm of his younger Bayer Leverkusen days – credit Ancelotti. Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, two forwards who supposedly could not play together are the most potent double act in the Premiership – credit Ancelotti. It is not by accident that all this is occurring and it won’t be by accident when John Terry lifts the title in May – credit Ancelotti. A

s for Liverpool and Rafael Benitez, the lack of adventure was a real problem for me. If this club wants to win the title they can’t be afraid to lose. It’s no use thumping the likes of Burnley and Hull if you can’t compete with the Chelsea’s and Tottenham’s.

I would love Benitez to have more trust in his team but at the moment they are too rigid and almost predictable. They lack the ability to express themselves in the big matches and it feels like there is no plan B. Stop Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres receiving any kind of service and they resemble a poor man’s Aston Villa. Also questions must be raised about the loyalty being shown to Jamie Carragher who continues to struggle. Does the Spaniard have the guts to do what Sir Alex Ferguson did to Rio Ferdinand and send him to the bench? The answer right now is now and if he can’t make that decision, then his legendary hard headedness knows no bounds.

Ultimately their rivals will have looked at this match and come to the conclusion that they do not pose the greatest of threats. With United and City on the not to distant horizon another couple of losses would signal the end of their title hopes before Christmas!

The final word though must go to the Blues and Ancelotti. Together I think they are the perfect combination of experienced, hungry players tied to a coach who still thinks that he has plenty to prove.

Until then, I’ll see you at the far post.