REACTION: I NEVER GAVE UP

After winning the Carling Cup fourth round tie against Leicester in such a dramatic fashion, Avram Grant has praised his side's character while insisting hope never deserted him.

'It was a good game, even if you were objective and you come just to watch a game. I think everyone enjoyed the game.

'We enjoyed winning, and we enjoyed scoring four goals,' said Grant.

'More importantly though, we showed that we have good character. You needed good character to win this game.'

Grant's side beat the visiting Leicester team 4-3 after Frank Lampard's goal in the 94th minute cancelled out any chances of extra-time.

'I never in my life give up until the last moment, even if it's 2-0.

'When we were leading 2-1, we created five chances one-on-one, I think the goalkeeper was fantastic but we should have scored these goals, but this is football,' added the winning manager.

With Lampard once again playing a pivotal role in the match, Grant is more than happy to have his key player back to full fitness.

'Last game he had an assist and in tonight's game he scores goals.

'He knows many things on the pitch and he knows how to do it at a high level. This is his target, this is our target and it's good for the team and that's what is important,' explained Grant.

He also added that tonight was a good game for Andriy Shevchenko, who scored the third goal for Chelsea in the 86th minute to put us level with the Foxes.

'He scored a fantastic goal, at the right time at the right moment. He is better from each game, from playing and playing,' added Grant.

Leicester City manager Frank Burrows also felt that the Blues had shown we had strong characters, but despite the hosts dominating possession, he feels this was something the Foxes matched us on.

'They were the better side, their quality of passing was better than ours and they had better possession, but our hearts were as big as theirs and I wouldn't change our hearts for their hearts after tonight.

'That's where we matched them in my eyes and maybe out-shaded them with our hearts.

'It's an old English thing that they don't know when they're beat, but we matched Chelsea there and beat them on that side of it,' said Burrows.

Grant feels there are still things to improve on after yet another win for us.

'Every game we want to win and learn from it, it is very important. We want to progress in our game. In every game in the last month we have progressed.'