SOCCER/Tottenham v Chelsea:AVRAM GRANT has stood by his controversial selection for last month's League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur as his Chelsea side attempt to draw level with Arsenal in the title race by winning the rematch at White Hart Lane this evening.
The Israeli's decision to omit Joe Cole and Michael Ballack for the showpiece while asking Nicolas Anelka to play wide on the left of a front three and alongside Didier Drogba for the first time, appeared to contribute to a disjointed performance at Wembley. Spurs prevailed in extra-time, with the Chelsea hierarchy dissatisfied in defeat, though Grant has no regrets.
"It was just one bad day in the life of a team," said Grant. "I don't think I made mistakes in my selection. We came with a very, very strong team. We played with John Obi Mikel, [ Michael] Essien and [ Frank] Lampard. That same midfield has won many games. Shaun [ Wright-Phillips] had been our best player in the semi-final.
"Didier and Nicolas are great strikers. We had a great defence. It was a good selection. But sometimes the selection is good and the performance is not so good. But I don't live in the past. We were in the title race all the time, but now it's more clear. We've got this game in hand so we can close the gap."
A win tonight would hoist Chelsea to 67 points, level with Arsenal. Indeed, the team's league record under Grant is remarkable: they are unbeaten in 12 matches stretching back to the defeat at Arsenal in mid-December, one of only two losses he has suffered in his 23 Premiership games in charge. The concern is the other was to Manchester United which, combined with the League Cup final defeat and FA Cup elimination at Barnsley, has fuelled suspicions that his team are vulnerable in key contests.
Grant, who will assess Petr Cech's recovery from an ankle injury, dismissed such criticism. "Any game Chelsea lose is a big match," he added. "If we'd won at Barnsley or in the League Cup, people wouldn't have said they were big matches.
"Barnsley, on paper, wasn't a big match. It was, though, after we lost. When you win against Tottenham in the league [ Spurs were beaten 2-0 in January], it's "reasonable". When we lose against them in the League Cup, it's a big match. I'm sure that if we win this game it'll be "reasonable"."
Chelsea's game of catch-up means any slip-up would seriously damage their challenge, and Grant concedes his friendship with the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, would count for little should he fail to claim a trophy this season. "When we speak about the team, friendship does not come into it. It's totally separate but, if he ever sacks me, he'll still be my friend."
Meanwhile, Dimitar Berbatov's future at Tottenham Hotspur returned to the spotlight last night, when his agent made more comments about prospective bidders in the summer transfer window.
"He is happy but what I know from my 25 years in football is that if a player is happy somewhere, it does not mean he cannot be happy somewhere else," said Emil Dantchev, who added that if there are any offers, then he and his client would like to consider them. AC Milan are the latest to have been linked with the Bulgarian.
"Milan is one of the biggest clubs in Europe and if there was interest, we would discuss it with Dimitar," he added. "At the moment, Dimitar is concentrating on doing his job with Tottenham. There is plenty of time until the transfer window." Berbatov's appetite has only been whetted by Spurs' League Cup victory and he is determined to play in the Champions League.
