Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini claims Chelsea remain serious title rivals.
The Barclays Premier League leaders face a stern test of their credentials as they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Andre Villas-Boas' side on Monday night.
The Londoners may have dropped out of the top four due to other results over the weekend, but they have emerged from a difficult spell over the past week.
They won at Newcastle on their last outing and then produced their best display of the season to beat Valencia and reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Those results have eased any pressure on Villas-Boas and, while they remain 10 points behind City, Mancini feels Chelsea should know from their own experience that large deficits can be overhauled.
Mancini said: "Last year Chelsea had a big lead over (Manchester) United but in the end United won the title by seven or eight points plus [nine].
"The Barclays Premier League is very difficult and in these two months, all the teams that play every three days will find it difficult.
"I think they can win it. They have 10 points less than us but we play two times against them and there are 24 games until the end of the season."
Mancini has also backed Villas-Boas to deliver for Roman Abramovich's club.
The 34-year-old Portuguese coach has had a rocky start since succeeding Mancini's compatriot Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, but the City boss thinks Chelsea have found a good man.
Mancini himself needed time to establish his current position of strength at the Etihad Stadium and feels Chelsea just need to be patient.
He said: "I think that has shown in the last year he is a good manager.
"He did well at Porto, he won trophies.
"Chelsea did well to get him.
"Carlo Ancelotti is a fantastic manager and I was sorry for him when Chelsea decided to sack him, but I think Villas-Boas is a good manager for them."
In-form right-back Micah Richards is unlikely to feature for City on Monday because of the calf problem which kept him out against Bayern Munich.
Centre-back Stefan Savic filled in as Pablo Zabaleta was not fit enough to take his place, but the Argentinian is expected to feature at Stamford Bridge.
Gael Clichy is likely to be retained at left-back as Aleksandar Kolarov is sidelined with a groin injury.
Villas-Boas arguably faces the most important selection decision of his reign - whether to recall Frank Lampard after dropping the midfielder in midweek.
Had David Luiz not been suspended, it may have been tempting for the Blues boss to name an unchanged XI for the first time since taking charge.
With wantaway Alex banished from the first-team squad, Branislav Ivanovic will almost certainly move from right-back to centre-half tomorrow, meaning a likely recall for Jose Bosingwa.
Bosingwa lost his place following a series of erratic displays and there is an argument that Oriol Romeu, Raul Meireles and Ramires would form a better defensive shield ahead of the full-back than a midfield that contains Lampard.
But Villas-Boas would only say of his selection: "We have to decide based on what we feel is best for the team in that precise moment."
One player who will expect to keep his place is Didier Drogba, who has once again become the main man at Stamford Bridge, with Fernando Torres forced to make do with a place on the bench.
Villas-Boas said: "At the moment, Didier has had his run.
"Fernando has had his run in the past. It doesn't mean that we don't trust his abilities.
"By the way he's training, he's nearer to competing with Didier every time.
"I agree, it has been Didier's run, a run that ended up with goals.
"But Fernando's run before was with goals as well.
"They are very, very near each other and, again, it's just for me to decide what's best for the team."
Source: DSG
Source: DSG