Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill praises Chelsea counterpart Carlo Ancelotti

Mar 26 2010 by Mat Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

MARTIN O’Neill believes Chelsea’s ongoing pursuit of a Premier League and FA Cup double is the perfect answer to Carlo Ancelotti’s critics.

The Italian has come under pressure since the Stamford Bridge superstars crashed out of the Champions League to Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.

But O’Neill believes Villa’s FA Cup last four opponents can still be immensely satisfied with a potentially successful first season in charge for Ancelotti. “I see that Chelsea have had a really fantastic season up to date,” said O’Neill, who secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in last October’s Villa Park fixture.

“I think this is the first week they have been out of the top two all season. It’s been remarkable really. They are in the semi-final of the FA Cup, they were in the quarter-final of the League Cup as well.