Goals in each half from Juliano Belletti and Shaun Wright-Phillips helped Chelsea to close the gap on leaders Arsenal but Anelka was denied a debut goal by Spurs keeper Radek Cerny and the woodwork.

Grant said: "We are very short of strikers, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are in Africa and Andriy Shevchenko is injured. Pizarro got injured so we had to use him.

"Anelka played without having one training session with us. He very quickly got into the style of the team and was part of the game. He hit the bar one time and the goalkeeper made a good save from him. So you cannot ask any more from his first performance. But we didn't plan to use him."

Chelsea are now closing in on the leaders and with injured players like captain John Terry, midfielder Frank Lampard plus their African Nations Cup contingent to return, the Blues are beginning to look real title contenders again.

Grant added: "I am very pleased for many things. First I am pleased that we have won so many games but more pleased by the way we have done it.

"We changed the style a little bit but not much and even without so many players, we keep looking to play good football. I am very happy. Our target is to win games and always play positive football.

"It is not easy to be in the position to always have to run after the other teams because if you lose points, it makes the gap more bigger. But it is not easy for everybody because Arsenal is a very good team and so are Manchester United.

"So, if we win and they drop points I am happy and hope it does not happen the other way around."