Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea's 2-1 victory over neighbours Fulham means their current dip in form is now over. The Blues restored their five-point lead at the Premier League summit by scoring twice in two second-half minutes, through Didier Drogba and a Chris Smalling own-goal.
Chelsea began the match with a solitary victory from seven games this month and Ancelotti was delighted by his players' response in adversity.
"This match didn't come at a good time for us," said the Italian.
"We went behind and the most important thing is the reaction in the second half, which was fantastic.
"It was not easy to change the game but we showed great determination and willingness.
"With this performance we finished a difficult period for the team.
"This could be an important victory in the season because I'm very happy with the reaction of the team during a bad spell.
"We reacted as a team and not individuals. Fulham are not easy to play - they are well organised and score goals.
"I was not angry at half time because I was it was difficult in the first half. We played slowly and needed more concentration in midfield."
Fulham were outstanding in defence until they buckled under the Chelsea pressure, and boss Roy Hodgson felt his side deserved a point.
"It was a competitive game. We took the lead early on which meant we had something to hold onto," he said.
"Subconsciously that tends to limit what you do offensively, especially when you're defending as well as we did.
"My disappointment is that such a hard working performance which saw us defend so well against a rampant Chelsea team with many quality players didn't get any reward.
"I'd like to have seen the players come off the pitch with at least a point to reward the quality of their play."
