Chelsea finally stopped the rot today as arguably their best Premier League performance for more than two months saw them beat Blackburn and climb back into the top four.
Looking to end their worst run in the league for almost 15 years after winning just one of their previous nine games, the Blues dominated from start to finish at Stamford Bridge.
Both their goals came from corner kicks courtesy of Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka, with their final ball continuing to let them down in open play.
The duo also found the net against Rovers back in October to keep Chelsea five points clear at the top of the table, but their efforts today were arguably even more precious.
Despite reports he might attend the game, there was no sign of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich prior to kick-off. Chelsea needed no extra motivation to end their miserable run in the league, knowing they could leapfrog fourth-placed Tottenham for at least 24 hours.
And buoyed from Sunday's 7-0 FA Cup thrashing of Ipswich and having recalled all their big guns, the home side flew out of the traps. A heavy touch from Didier Drogba allowed Michel Salgado to intercept after the striker was played in by Anelka and Ramires smashed the ball against the bar after David Hoilett was caught napping.
Martin Olsson tested Petr Cech from 25 yards at the other end as the hesitancy that has dogged the champions in recent weeks began to resurface. Michael Essien sent a difficult header wide from Frank Lampard's corner, with Blackburn's defence continuing to hold firm in the opening quarter.
Drogba fired over from range before the visitors suffered a 24th-minute blow when David Dunn limped off to be replaced by Premier League debutant Jason Lowe. Jose Bosingwa blazed over from 25 yards as Chelsea began to run out of ideas but a lightning break 12 minutes from half-time might have seen them break the deadlock but for a brilliant Gael Givet challenge on Drogba.
They were almost caught out themselves moments later when they gave Hoilett space to shoot and force a fine save from Cech, with only desperate defending preventing Nikola Kalinic and Lowe pouncing on the rebound.
An under-pressure Lampard nodded over Bosingwa's cross from point-blank range before Anelka was desperately unlucky not to score when he flicked Drogba's wicked ball against the
Roque Santa Cruz came on at half-time for his second Blackburn debut, with Kalinic withdrawn, but the new man was almost upstaged by Anelka, who dragged narrowly wide less than two minutes in.
Florent Malouda talked himself into a booking after a poor tackle on Mame Biram Diouf, who was too off balance to head Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner on target minutes later. Chelsea finally got the goal their overall dominance deserved in the 57th minute.
Pedersen flicked John Terry's header from Malouda's corner straight to Ivanovic, who held off Ryan Nelson before squeezing a shot past both him and Salgado.
Malouda fired straight at Robinson as the champions looked for a quickfire second, which Terry should have provided when he flicked Lampard's mishit volley just wide midway through the half.
A well-placed Lampard then got the ball stuck beneath his feet, chipping straight into Robinson's arms before Hoilett was replaced by Jason Roberts.
Robinson came to his side's rescue again 15 minutes from time when a horrendous backpass from Christopher Samba sent Drogba clear.
The striker should have scored but the keeper still did well to close him down.
But that good work was undone by more poor defending from the subsequent corner, Ivanovic leaping highest to head goalward, with Anelka making sure from point-blank range.
That was the striker's final contribution as he and Essien made way for Salomon Kalou and Josh McEachran for the final 10 minutes.
Lampard's lame finish wasted a great chance to make it 3-0, Malouda's rocket was almost spilt into his own net by Robinson and Drogba clipped a improvised strike just over the top.
Daniel Sturridge replaced Malouda for the final three minutes and Chelsea comfortably played out time.
Carlo Ancelotti challenged his Chelsea players to prove their worst Premier League run for almost 15 years was behind them by winning at Bolton next Monday after watching them beat Blackburn.
''I think a good support for us for these two games was to play at home,'' he said. ''Now we have to check also away in the next game against Bolton.''
The performance was still some way below the level Chelsea were showing at the start of the season, when they threatened to sweep all before them, but it was another step in the right direction.
Ancelotti added: ''We are not at the same level but we will come back to play at the same level. We don't need to have a lot of time to come back.
''It will be very important the next game against Bolton because we can say definitely that the moment is gone. If the moment is gone, I think that we will be stronger.''
Chelsea were let down by their final ball in the first half and both their goals came from corners, with Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka punishing slack defending.
Ancelotti said: ''If I have to judge the performance today, I can say it was good. We could score before the first goal of Ivanovic, we could score in the first half. But our play was good, more intensity, more quality.''
He added: ''It was important also for us to score on the set pieces. We had a lot of opportunities today. Ivanovic is very good with his head, he scored in an important moment. After the first goal, the team played a good game.
''Obviously, we want to score with good play, with good football. But also we have to use the set-pieces because I think we have dangerous players in the set-pieces.''
It was that which determined Ancelotti's selection policy today, with Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole all recalled.
''We needed to have more size,'' Ancelotti said. ''I knew that Blackburn could use long balls and set-pieces. So I wanted to have power in the box. For this reason, Essien and Drogba started the game.''
Ancelotti, who refused to discuss the club's move for Steven Pienaar, which has stalled due to the Everton midfielder's wage demands, also insisted he never felt his job had been on the line in recent weeks.
''I didn't have a doubt before, also when we lost the games because the support of my club was very close to me and the players,'' he said.
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