Chelsea captain John Terry suggested his team on the brink of the Premier League title is worthy of more respect from their detractors after a 3-1 win at Leicester edged the Blues to within a solitary win of glory.
Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have come under fire in recent weeks as their critics have suggested they are promoting a negative style of play, yet Terry argued that viewpoint is blinkered on a night when the Blues moved a massive 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League standings.
"You have to give respect to the players and the manager as well," Terry told Sky Sports. "What the manager has done with this side in two years deserves a lot of respect.
"We were the best side by far until Christmas. We have been the best side all season. Okay, we have had to grind out results because teams have been getting behind the ball and made it difficult for us, but the players and the manager deserve respect. We have been very good all year."
Didier Drogba scored a vital goal in the win at Leicester and he echoed Terry's view, after suggesting the criticism that has been flowing in Chelsea's direction over the last few weeks has been misplaced.
"We don't get enough credit for the work we do," Drogba said. "We are top of the league, we have the most points in this league. People maybe find us boring because we have been top of the league from day one."
Terry revealed Mourinho gave his players a feisty dressing down after a less-than-convincing first half finished with Leicester holding a 1-0 lead over Chelsea.
"We got a bit of a telling off at half-time, but second half we came out and we were magnificent," Terry said. "We created a lot more chances, looked solid at the back and going forward we were excellent.
"The manager told us it was not good enough first half. We were a little lacklustre at the start. We knew what to expect, but we didn't deal with it too well. Listen, we got the result in the end.
"We are almost there. We knew they would be a tough side and they were. They kept fighting and I said to the boys that they would do that. They made it very difficult for us."