Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti expressed his delight over the 1-0 win over Manchester United.

"I think it was a difficult match for both teams," he said.

"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."

Chelsea now head into next week's international break with a healthy lead at the summit of the Premier League, although Ancelotti was quick to insist that he knows there is still a very long way to go in the title race.

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

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