REACTION: WIN IS FIRST STEP OF THE WAY

As he was nearing the end of his reflections on a night of victory in Valencia, Avram Grant joked about it being his best game in the Champions League as Chelsea manager.

In a more serious moment, he announced that the morale-boosting win in his fourth game in charge was the first step on a new pathway for the club that employs him.

'I am happy with the winning but I am more happy with the way of the winning,' he declared before leaving the Mestalla for a flight back to London.

'People tell me it was one of the best games away for Chelsea in Europe. I am very pleased with this result because I think it is the start of a new good way.

'I am not surprised. I told everyone before that I was very happy with the attitude of the players in the last two weeks during a very difficult time. We played well in the last two games in the league but this time we finished with 11 players,' he said.

It was certainly one of Chelsea's best nights away in Spain, following last season's win in the same stadium and a 1998 Cup Winners' Cup success against Real Betis as only our third triumph on Spanish soil.

And with the four games in Group B so far this season failing to throw up a single home win, the Champions League qualification campaign is right back on track with Chelsea now a point ahead of Valencia and Schalke.

For Valencia, the inquest has begun on how the same opposition could have scalped them in their own stadium for a second time in quick succession.

'This game was different from the one in April because in that one, we could not reach the goal during the last half of the game,' explained Quique Sanchez Flores, the defeated coach.

'But there are similarities, especially because one team dominates the first-half and the other team the second-half.'

It was home side that Flores believed had enjoyed the clear upper hand before the break. But he bemoaned their inability to 'neutralise' Chelsea's game in the move for our second goal and their failure to finish the game when in the lead, something that he believed Chelsea had done.

'Maybe we could have won the ball back better off their midfield but Chelsea have managed to neutralise our game, and we could not rely on the physical conditions. Players like Makelele and Essien are not made everyday and we cannot compare ourselves to them.

'Even though we have studied Drogba and know how he is playing, he can be lethal. He plays for others, not only himself so he manages to change the situation on the pitch.'

'Didier is a good striker but I don't think that is news for anyone,' said the winning goal scorer's own coach.

'I don't need to tell anyone what we said between us when we talked recently but I was very happy with his attitude. He is willing to give everything to Chelsea and you saw that today.

'We have been trying hard for the last two weeks,' continued Grant. 'Not just me but my assistant Steve Clarke who has been doing a very good job, and all the other staff including the medical staff.

'It has not been easy for them with all the new injuries but we have tried to make things very calm for the players because we know they know how to play football.

'Then when we see the players in the last game, we know their attitude is good but we wanted to keep that, so we needed also a good result.'