He said:
"Freddie wasn't completely right physically in his first game back after his migraines on Boxing Day, but he was better at Newcastle and was outstanding today. As for van Persie, I always give my players six months to adapt when they are young, and he is starting to play now.
"You can expect it is a shock to your system when your first game is at Portsmouth, but he has got better in each game and has shown he can be dangerous in each match.
"You don't want to let Chelsea go 15 points ahead, so we try to make it interesting for everyone. If we are consistent, we will have a good chance. In March, we will be better as the young players will be stronger. The spirit and unity are great, the belief is high.
"We had some average performances last season but now we've come back down to earth, every display is under even more scrutiny, but I feel we are getting better and better in every match, and we are winning some very difficult games."