Carlo backs his ‘perfect' captain

HOT STUFF ... Chelsea skipper John Terry

JOHN TERRY was hailed as the 'perfect' captain after he helped put Chelsea back on top of the Premier League.

The fired-up Blues skipper set up the opener despite the controversy surrounding his private life.

Terry's commanding display drew praise from manager Carlo Ancelotti in the wake of losing the England captaincy.

Ancelotti said: "For me and for Chelsea, John is the perfect captain. I didn't speak to him after he met Capello last Friday and do not want to judge the decision on England because it's not my decision.

"What I know is that John's behaviour on the pitch is very, very professional and he showed that again in this game."

At the end, an emotional Terry threw his shirt into the Chelsea fans before giving Ancelotti a bear hug.

"I was saying thank you for the performance," said the Chelsea boss about the embrace. "I would hug every member of my team after this game if I could!"

Arsene Wenger was livid at the defeat that followed the 3-1 home humiliation by Manchester United but admitted that Terry was an inspiration for Chelsea.

The Arsenal boss said: "John Terry is a player who always wants to win and he is strong enough to separate what is off the pitch and what is on it.

"Some players can do that. I've known players who can deal with personal problems better because they can escape to the pitch."

Didier Drogba's double took his tally to 12 goals in 12 games against the Gunners. He said: "I don't know what it is but I just seem to score against Arsenal."

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