Branislav Ivanovic has suggested Chelsea thrive in pressure situations after the side were successful in holding off Manchester City in a fixture that the opposition needed to win to close the gap between themselves and Chelsea, according to the Guardian.

The Blues were attacked relentlessly by a City side desperate to close the gap in the Barclays Premier League title race, and Chelsea had to have a strong rear guard and some luck to ensure City did not get maximum points. Ivanovic however had a ok performance, as the full back could not retain the ball on several occasion as well as he usually does, leaving his team’s defence exposed. Kurt Zouma had a terrific game as Jose Mourinho picked the youngster ahead of the experienced Gary Cahill who came on in the second half to solidify the defence. Next up for Chelsea is a trip to Aston Villa, a side who have not scored for the past 10 hours in the Premier League. Villa were thumped by five goals when they visited Arsenal, and Paul Lambert is struggling to keep his job with supporters frustrated with their form. Chelsea will still be without Diego Costa, who will serve the second of his 3-match ban.

Ivanovic has been part of the Chelsea squad since 2008, and has made 200 appearances for the first team. One of the strengths of his style of play has been the attacking side, and Ivanovic has scored 18 goals, astounding for a full back plus as Luis Suarez would testify he really is a “tasty” player!!