The record-breaking £75million splashed out on Fernando Torres and David Luiz in January has reinvigorated the champions' floundering season, arguably suggesting their transfer policy at the start of the campaign had been flawed.

Several big-name players were offloaded, with the club placing more emphasis on blooding youth.

That tactic appeared to backfire when injury struck and, while not panic buys, the signings of Torres and Luiz were in one sense an admission the squad had been cut too fast, too soon.

But manager Ancelotti yesterday refused to dwell on what might have been had more experience been available to him at the end of 2010, when the Blues went on their worst run in the league for almost 15 years.

"We can't say," the Italian said.

"We have more power and ability with Torres and Luiz in the squad.

"They came here at the right moment, Luiz and Torres."

Although Torres' well-documented failure to score may indicate his impact has been negligible, his mere presence has guarded against the threat of fatigue and injury.

Luiz, meanwhile, has been a revelation, and is arguably the catalyst for the run that has seen Chelsea cut United's lead over them from 15 points to nine - with a game in hand and a trip to Old Trafford to come.

The sequence emboldened Ancelotti to declare his side were back in the kind of groove that saw them threaten to run away with the championship back in October.

"The team, at this moment, is showing the same ability, the same skill that we were able to use at the start of the season," he said.

"People started to think everything was wrong here, but this is football. When a team or players have ability, skills, it can happen that at some moments in your career you can't show it."

Whatever happens in the title run-in, Chelsea would never resort to undermining referees, according to Ancelotti.

The Premier League are planning a crackdown on the lack of respect they believe managers and players show officials.

Ancelotti admitted his Chelsea squad do not show him much respect when he referees their training matches.

"The worst is (Nicolas) Anelka, who always shouts against the referee," he said.

"I don't have a yellow card. I just have fines. If you shout against the referee, the player gets fined.

"Who gets the money? The manager!

"Who else would? They shout against me. I've earned a lot of money."