Chelsea shake off Liverpool jinx

(CNN) -- After five days in which they have both beaten Manchester United to keep the English title race alive and overcome their Liverpool jinx in the Champions League, this may have been the week when Chelsea -- and manager Avram Grant in particular -- exorcized the ghost of Jose Mourinho.

The west Londoners have been living in the shadow of the self-declared "Special One" ever since his surprise dismissal last September after failing to deliver a third straight English Premier League title.

Yet the much maligned Grant, who has endured the taunts, jeers and disrespect of home supporters virtually since the day of his appointment, has now achieved something which even Mourinho could not deliver.

Twice beaten by Rafael Benitez's Liverpool in previous Champions League semifinals under the Portuguese coach, Wednesday's tense, chaotic 3-2 win -- 4-3 on aggregate -- earned Grant the distinction of becoming the first Chelsea manager to take the club to the European Cup final.

"To create history in this club in my first year as manager with all the difficulties we have had ... we have stayed together and we did everything as I like to do, in a positive way," said Grant, who collapsed to the turf with emotion at the end of the match.

"It means a lot to me, not just that we have got to the final but the way we did it. This is time to say a good word to everyone at the club, all my staff did a very good job and I am proud of them."

Grant, of course, has a lot to thank his players for. On Saturday it was Michael Ballack, now back to his outstanding best after sitting out the first half of the season with injury, who inspired Chelsea, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over United at Stamford Bridge which means any slip-up by United over the final two weeks of the season could give Chelsea the title.

On Wednesday, it was Didier Drogba, another player who has suffered his share of injuries this season, who rose to the occasion, rifling home two stunning finishes in a defiant display perhaps unwisely motivated by comments in which the Liverpool manager Benitez accused him of going to ground too easily.

Frank Lampard too displayed steely focus to slot home the extra time penalty that put Chelsea decisively in front in his first game since the death of his mother.

"I think Frank is a very brave man," said Grant, "It was his decision to play and he played extremely well. We spoke about it yesterday and it was decided he should play then."

Much of the criticism leveled at Grant, and Mourinho before him, has focused on Chelsea's functional style of football coupled with accusations that, bankrolled by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, the club has been able to buy its place among football's elite.

As a club, Chelsea may never inspire the sort of plaudits for style enjoyed by Arsene Wenger's Arsenal and cannot boast of the past glories of Manchester United or Liverpool but, going head to head with United in Moscow later this month, they do have a chance to make a little bit of history for themselves.

"An all-English final. I think everyone's looking forward to it," said Chelsea captain John Terry. "They (United) have been very good in the league. All in all, they're playing very well. I think we're at the top of our game so in three weeks time it's going to be a very tough game." E-mail to a friend