Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic believes that Fernando Torres "deserved" to end his Premier League six-month goal drought.

The Spaniard, who has had a torrid first full season in a Blues shirt, managed to end his woes with a goal during Chelsea's 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

"It was an important goal for him. Fernando has been going well and playing well all over the pitch," said Ivanovic. "He's been doing everything for the team and I think he deserved that goal. He is a great player. Of course he has felt the pressure and so it was important for us to support him.

"We know how good he is. We've seen that every day in training. But at the same time, for him to score a goal was very important. But for us, we know how much he has given us. He doesn't just play for himself but he plays for the team."

The former English champions currently sit fifth in the league table on the same points as Newcastle United.