All the results are packed into a league table, but it still cannot tell the whole story. If it did Chelsea would be at ease. The current total of 58 points is their best at this stage of the programme since José Mourinho was strutting towards a second consecutive title in the 2005-06 campaign, but there is no echo of those times now.

The club do continue to top the ­Premier League, but Carlo Ancelotti's team have not been imposing themselves fully in away games. Mistakes by John Terry led to Everton's goals in the 2-1 defeat at Goodison yesterday. He is about to get the weekend off while he attends to his private life and accustoms himself to the fact that he is a former England captain.

Ancelotti, all the same, cannot suppose Terry is being swamped by events. He had an easy authority to his work as recently as last Sunday, when Arsenal were hindered by the lack of a genuine centre-forward in a line-up beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. It would be simpler for Ancelotti if the blame for the fallibility could be pinned on one individual but the team have won only one of their last six away games in the league.

The old ruthlessness has gone missing. Chelsea have conceded leads in three of their four defeats this season – they have been unable to instil fatalism in their competitors. They have been more likely to bring themselves to a shuddering halt. The 3-0 victory at the Emirates was ­followed by a loss at Manchester City in the next league game and then a 3-3 draw with Everton at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's defensive record is bettered only by those of Aston Villa and Manchester United, but the goals conceded have done damage. A 3-1 loss at Wigan, for instance, was not anticipated. ­Roberto Martínez's team have had just two other league victories at the DW Stadium, against lowly West Ham United and ­Sunderland. Ancelotti has many players who have already achieved much over long careers and it seems that there is now a difficulty in sustaining concentration over what appears to be a humdrum game.

The side give the impression of being better adapted to grand occasions when the threat is not concealed in the slightest. In this campaign they have won all three games with United and Arsenal while keeping a clean sheet every time. Last Sunday's meeting with Arsène Wenger's side seemed to lift the concentration of the goalkeeper Petr Cech to a higher plane. With such factors in mind, Chelsea may not be perturbed by the seemingly ­intimidating occasions that lie ahead, such as the trip to Old Trafford on 3 April. At least the hostile setting will provoke a rise in their own intensity.

Ancelotti's team will still have to be authoritative elsewhere and the ­manager seems to have identified areas of ­concern. None of Chelsea's main rivals would ­countenance a rotation policy in the heart of the back four, but that was the practice in a recent spell when Alex alternated with Ricardo Carvalho. The Portuguese has had knee trouble in the past and could be ­succumbing to wear and tear, but has now started in each of the last three ­fixtures while Alex has had a hamstring problem.

Continuity can bring reliability, but the loss at Goodison showed there has been no complete return to steadfastness. That is remarkable in view of the personnel. Ancelotti could hardly hope for a better left-back than Ashley Cole. That Cole will be out for three months after fracturing his ankle against Everton is a blow, but the Russian Yuri Zhirkov is a capable replacement. Branislav Ivanovic, on the opposite flank, had done so well that it is forgotten José Bosingwa has been sidelined following knee surgery four months ago.

The intermittent fault in Chelsea's displays has a number of causes and is therefore harder to correct. Michael Essien, for instance, had barely got over injury when he damaged his knee while with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations. The powerful midfielder, if fit, would have a deterrent effect that is absent from the Chelsea midfield.

There may be wider issues, too, for a line-up that has faltered. It is, for instance, a boon to have Didier Drogba back in the country, but his return has ­coincided with a dip in Nicolas Anelka's level. The Frenchman has not scored in any of Chelsea's three games since the Ivorian returned to the line-up.

This looks a tactical matter more than one of temperament. In the current, ­three-pronged attack Anelka is uneasy towards the right. It is likely that Ancelotti will now consider allowing him to revert to a more central post, just behind Drogba. With United gathering themselves and Arsenal arguing that they can still get back in contention, the Chelsea manager has to show he can establish momentum.