Florent Malouda breathed new life into Chelsea's title challenge by scoring his side's second-half winner in a 1-0 victory against Bolton on Wednesday, ending the champions' six-match winless run in the Premier League.
The France midfielder tapped in Didier Drogba's cross in the 61st minute to lift Chelsea back into the top four above Tottenham and within four points of league leader Manchester United, which has played a game less.
The Blues' last victory had come on Nov. 10, since when they have blown a five-point lead as their confidence disappeared and their squad was hit by injuries to key players.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti said he hoped this win, which was anything but comfortable at a rainy Stamford Bridge, will spark an upturn in results.
''It was a very important step,'' said a clearly relieved Ancelotti. ''I'm not sure if everything will be OK now - we have to wait and see until the next game. The league is open for us again. We are not in the best condition, confidence or atmosphere. We have to improve.''
Chelsea was booed off the pitch after a dreadful first-half display but improved after the break, with Drogba hitting the post before setting up Malouda for his eighth of the campaign.
Bolton, which would have gone above Chelsea into fifth with a win, created three decent chances in the final 30 minutes but the Blues defended valiantly and held on for the win.
''The team showed character,'' Ancelotti said. ''The first half was very difficult because we couldn't get into the tempo of the game. But the second half was a lot better. It was important to win and change the atmosphere, change the trend.''
Relief swept through Stamford Bridge at the final whistle as Chelsea ended its worst sequence of results in the England's top division for 11 years but it struggled for large sections of the game against hard-working opposition.
Chelsea couldn't even muster a shot on target in a dire first half in which Bolton arguably played the better football in rainy conditions. Ancelotti's side was barely able to string two passes together, with fit-again England midfielder Frank Lampard anonymous.
The hosts were susceptible early on to the long ball directed at Bolton's physical front pairing of Kevin Davies and top scorer Johan Elmander, with center back Branislav Ivanovic and right back Jose Bosingwa particularly targeted.
John Terry had to be alert to dispossess Elmander with a last-ditch tackle as he charged onto Davies' flick-on in the 17th and then Bosingwa failed to deal with Sam Ricketts' deep cross, Matt Taylor picking up the loose ball and dragging a shot inches wide.
The Blues, whose most recent win came against Fulham on Nov. 10, were roundly booed off at half time by a crowd which had voiced its disapproval throughout the opening 45 minutes. Ancelotti, for the most part, had stood in the technical area, hands in pockets and probably unable to believe what he was seeing.
The standard thankfully improved after the break and in the 50th minute, Lampard set free Drogba with a wonderful through-ball only for the Ivory Coast striker to sidefoot his finish against the post.
Michael Essien then waltzed through the heart of the Bolton defense before shooting tamely at Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Malouda broke the deadlock with Chelsea's best move of the game, Essien slipping in Drogba, who beat the offside trap and crossed along the six-yard box for the winger to tap in.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle felt Drogba was offside.
''My players were frustrated about that.'' said Coyle, who was also aggrieved that his side wasn't awarded a penalty when a first-half shot by United States midfielder Stuart Holden struck the arm of John Terry.
Ricketts fired over from 12 yards (meters) at the other end soon after and center back Gary Cahill nodded Taylor's free kick wide as Bolton sought an equalizer.
Holden then had a header tipped over by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech in the 77th but the home side hung on.
