Chelsea remain in control

AVRAM GRANT’S brave new world at Stamford Bridge continues to heal the wounds left by Jose Mourinho’s departure as Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Schalke put them in a commanding position in Champions League Group B.

A goal in each half from Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba ensured the Blues remain top of their group and that Grant’s record in the Champions League is unblemished.

Afterwards a content Grant said: ‘‘We wanted to start well and we did that — not just the goal but by playing good football.

‘‘Then we rested but we scored early again in the second half and could have had more goals, but the important thing is that we won and continued to improve. Schalke hit the post and I didn’t see what happened with the Alex incident, but we had four or five chances to score again.

‘‘Today was Roman Abramovic’s 41st birthday so, for him, it’s good. He deserves it and has done so much for the team and the fans, so I wish him a happy birthday.’’

Chelsea were gifted the best possible start when Malouda got the better of his marker Rafinha before despatching a left-foot shot which Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer inexplicably allowed to roll through his arms and into the back of the net.

The goal, comical as it was, settled Chelsea’s nerves and the confidence permeated throughout Grant’s side to such an extent that there were brief spells of the attacking verve he desperately wants to instil into his squad.

In the 12th minute captain Frank Lampard should have done better with a glancing header from Drogba’s cross but he wasted the opportunity by putting his effort over the crossbar.

Chelsea continued to dominate and in the 32nd minute Essien’s glancing header was saved well by Neuer when he managed to get on the end of another curling cross from Malouda.

Seconds before the interval, Joe Cole brought another fine save from Neuer but it was clear from Schalke’s neatapproach play that Chelsea would benefit greatly from a second goal.

They got it within two minutes of the restart when a flowing move saw Paulo Ferreira provide the perfect cross for Drogba to send a deft header into the net from six yards to secure the points.

The win took Chelsea’s unbeaten run to six games and many more such victories will help to erase the memory of the ‘Special One’ quicker than anyone at the club could have possibly expected.

The Chelsea revival is clearly in full swing and a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League now looks nothing more than a formality for Grant and his coaching cohorts.

CHELSEA: Cech, Ferreira, Carvalho, Alex, Bridge, Essien (Obi 70), Makelele, Lampard, Joe Cole (Shevchenko 89), Malouda (Kalou 83), Drogba.

SCHALKE 04: Neuer, Rafinha, Westermann, Bordon, Rodriguez (Bajramovic 81), Ernst, Jones, Grossmuller (Azaouagh 76), Asamoah (Rakitic 61), Lovenkrands, Larsen.

Ref: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden).